Customer Reviews

Once Upon a Time When We Were Colored

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's an amazingly great read. I love how it shows the virtues of the African American culture through the eyes of child.

Great book! Great man, I met him on a plane.

Worth the read!

I like this book because it is a non-fiction book written by a good person who lead an eventful life. I have met Mr. Taulbert when he came to my school in 1996. he was a nice man then and he probably is a nice man now. I also liked THE LAST TRAIN NORTH; the sequel to When We Were Colored. I also liked the movie that was made from this book Once Upon a Time When We Were Colored.

In the summer of 2000, I joined the Mississippi Teacher Corps and started a four year journey of teaching in the town of Greenville in the Mississippi Delta. I had never been to Mississippi before, and I was only starting to learn about this historical context of this region. Even though in theory this region had been integrated as a result of the Civil Rights movement, the reality of this region is still a very harsh one where society is still very divided and very much separated.

I town where this book takes place is located just down the highway from Greenville. The author finds hope and encouragement through the close knit community that nurtures him along his journey. Today, we have greater access to technology and resources in many different ways, but I think that so many of our youth do not receive encouragement and support on this same level. I have read this book several times. It is a glimpse of life in the Mississippi Delta that is part of the past on some level, but that is very much a part of our present as well.

I have stayed in Mississippi. I am now a Catholic priest in the towns of Yazoo City and Belzoni, both of which are located in the Delta. The lessons of hope and love that are an integral part of this story still provide me encouragement.

I really enjoyed the reading; so much nostalgia but not always the kind that makes one comfortable. My only complaint is that the book too small for such an important message.

This is a nice story which can put you right on the couch next to him as you read. It's not all that unique a story though.