Do you remember nursery school? Today they call it preschool. I do. The place: McKenzie Courts Center. The administrator/teacher: Mrs. Henderson. The first lovingly, strong academia influence in my life. She and her staff taught us skills to prepare us for elementary school. It wasn’t just the a,b,c’s, colors and numbers. When I left there I could read and write legibily. They taught us how to behave in social settings outside our home. They required our best in all areas. I never thought of that place as a place for poor, black kids. I never felt the sting of “separate but equal” unequal segregation. Jim Crow overshadowed this sanctuary, but I didn’t know it. I felt safe. Mrs. Henderson and company did that for us. I remember we ate, we slept, we played, we learned. But most of all we were respected and loved. You can’t get much richer than that:My Black Soil. My roots got stronger every day. I was a little kid enjoying life. I believe Mrs Henderson is enjoying a well-deserved rest in heaven. Thank you.