History
Chick Webb and Ella Fitzgerald
Both had difficult beginnings.
Chick Webb was born around 1909. Early on, he contracted tuberculosis which effected his spine. It hampered his growth and caused his back to be badly deformed. He learned percussion as a child playing on the… Continue reading
American Jazz Museum—A Kansas City Jewel
Our American Jazz Museum at 18th and Vine is in financial trouble. We mustn’t let anything happen to this premier site. It is a big, colorful building full of history, exhibits, learning, and live music. Plan to visit Twenty… Continue reading
NUCLEAR BOMB SCARE
What we won’t do to protect our children. It sounds silly now, but in the 1950’s, the infamous cold war between Russia and the United States had us believing Russia might drop a nuclear bomb. Clayton and I had two… Continue reading
Ghettoized in America
Native Americans already lived on this continent when the white man arrived. Even though the Indians had their own cultures and ways of life, our government methodically killed or confined many of them to reservations where today they live in… Continue reading
SAVING HISTORY
Over the bridge table Tuesday, my eighty seven year old Jewish friend mentioned she was born in Fremont, Nebraska. “Where is that?” I asked.”Near Omaha,” she answered. “How did your parents come to live there?” I wondered. This is the… Continue reading
