The Los Angeles Times has an obituary this morning of a woman who deserves your respect and attention. In 1959 (which was really not that long ago), Holmes and her husband moved to a new neighborhood in Pacoima, a simple act that people take for granted today. However, because the family was black and the neighborhood white, the couple was showered with racist abuse. According to the Times:
Rocks were thrown through their windows. Burning crosses appeared on their lawn. Tacks were scattered on the driveway around their cars, which were pelted with eggs. One night an ugly message was painted on a wall in front of their house: "Black Plague, Don't let it spread."
At the time, such behavior was not uncommon in LA, and the easy thing would be to sell the home and move back to an integrated neighborhood-- but Bobbie Lee refused. She and her husband Emory fought back, using the court system to challenge their racist neighbors and fight for their right to live where they pleased. Back to the article:
In 1960 they pressed charges against two neighbors and won. The harassment stopped and they remained in the neighborhood for 20 years. Over time, their son said, they became good friends with some of the neighbors who had been among their bitterest antagonists.
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