‘Being in the know’ yields memories

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David Oyelowo portrays Joe "Lightning" Little in the film "Red Tails." | 20th Century Fox

One of the things I love about being a journalist is having the opportunity to interview those who have made strides, unbelievable strides in black and American history.

Even in childhood I was in the presence of individuals who made a difference. And some of those instances would come full circle years later when I’d meet them again as a reporter.

A lot of those opportunities growing up were due in part to getting a ticket for then Gary mayor Richard G. Hatcher’s annual “Evening to Remember” galas. Due to “being in the know” with people and having family connections, I would get dropped off at the gala to enjoy a meal and entertainment while carrying a small, red autograph book.

I found that book a while back, well worn, but still containing on faded sheets of paper autographs from Andrew Young, Dick Gregory, Julian Bond and actors like Gary’s own late William Marshall aka “Blackula,” and sports stars like Reggie Theus.

I got to see live performances by Ray Charles, Phyllis Hyman, The Emotions and others. Each of these individuals and groups were cordial and more than happy to share a moment with a little girl amazed to meet these people.

Going into journalism broadened opportunities to meet some of these individuals again, albeit to get comments for stories that came with a deadline.

I’ve interviewed more celebrities who’ve made stops in Gary and Northwest Indiana for a reason or an event or two. I particularly love when I have a memory that ties with the interviewee.

When I recently interviewed Diane Judith Nash and Abraham Bassford, two of the 400 Freedom Riders, during their visit to Indiana University Northwest — visit www.pbs.org/freedomriders to watch a great documentary about them — I remembered visiting the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis in 2007.

The museum has what is left of a bus destroyed by haters determined to destroy the Freedom Riders’ mission in 1961 of desegregating interstate travel facilities. It was an honor to be in Nash’s and Bassford’s presence for a few moments of a living history lesson.

Friday, Jan. 20, is opening day for the movie “Red Tails,” the story of the Tuskegee Airmen and the “red tail” combat fighter planes they flew to help this country during World War II.

I urge everyone to see this motion picture to get a Hollywood depiction of what the real Tuskegee Airmen did for us. There are only a handful of these brave black men left, including Quentin Smith, who is getting a lot of well-deserved media attention to tell his story as a Tuskegee Airman.

So kick off the weekend with a trip to the movies and see “Red Tails.”