New Bern was a quiet place 93 years ago. It was the kind of place where you sat on the porch and talked with your neighbors. Kind of like Facebook without electricity. Well any kind of "goings on" provided a diversion. When my dad was a child (early twenties) there was a parade scheduled downtown. His grandfather agreed to walk the five blocks to where they could view the marching. Turns out it was a Klan Parade. Don't misunderstand they did not attend to support or endorse the organization. It was out of curiosity and seeking entertainment they viewed the processation.
As they watched my father asked his grandfather who the people with the hoods were? Granddaddy Bud started naming names. Puzzled my Dad asked him how he knew. He responded, "son everyone is so poor they only have one pair of shoes".
