Customer Reviews

Race and Change in Hollywood (FL) (Voices of America)

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First-I think it helps if you have a frame of reference for this material.
I am white. i think the major appeal may be to black persons, but it is a good read for anyone with a social conscience.

I spent part of each winter in the 1950s in Hollywood FL.
My grandparents ran the George and Francis Fruit Shoppe on North Federal Hwy.
My parents came down each winter to help, since my Dad's business did poorly in Boston in the winter.
We went to Youngs Circle each Christmas to watch Santa come in on the fire engine.
Saw my first Elvis Movie, "Love me Tender," at the Hollywood Blvd theatre when it came out.
Drove by Dania's Colored Beach, as it was then called.
Never saw any Klan. Never saw any violence.

Wonderful memories of the time.

The book accurately depicts things as they were.
The racism, the bigotry against blacks and Jews.
I was called a "N-lover," when walking with a friend in West Palm Beach.
The book is in the manner of interviews, but manages to be very entertaining. -as the author interviewed persons that lived in the time. That accounts for grammar issues. The author did not correct their grammar in writing the book. That is a nice touch.

My first exposure to the signs "colored only."
Limos parked next to the fruit stand, so their wealthy owners could buy fruit. All gone by mid March until next year.
The $ 7500 new homes (I went with my brother when he was looking for one).

A unique insight. My family wound up being the only white family in my Boston neighborhood. A neighborhood that went from being Jewish working class, to being almost entirely black. My elderly grandmother wouldn't leave her synagogue. My best friends were black. One day, I took my best friend to Boston's Revere Beach, and sat next to my aunt, who had a summer place there, and lots of friends on the beach. Later that day, she told me to never sit near her when I was with black friends. She was embarrassed. So whether Hollywood or Boston. Racism is everywhere.

I found this book when googling my grandmother's name with the words Hollywood, FL.

Enjoyed the photos. Wish there were more of them.