Greensboro, N. Carolina

Greensboro looks like an ordinary sleepy American city, but it is anything but that.

For it played an unforgettable and critical role during the Civil Rights Movement, which led to the freedoms we enjoy today.

So naturally, when we visited the city for a recent wedding, we had to remind ourselves of its role, by taking in the Civil Rights Museum there.

Greensboro was the site of the first sit in. That was in 1960 at a Woolworths lunch counter.

It all took place in this building, which actually houses the museum today.

The reception area of the building today.

However, in 1960, Woolworths was a popular department store  and the only one that had a luncheonette inside. 

But only whites could eat there!

However, four courageous young men decided in 1960, that it was time for a change, so they visited the cafeteria, sat down and ordered coffee. 

But of course they were refused service and ordered to leave.

In short, they refused to leave, remained there all day and returned every day for months on end.

When other conscious, young people from both black and white colleges and high schools heard about it, they joined in, prepared to be arrested.

 As money is always the main driving force, and the thousands of defiant protesters who spilled into the streets affected all businesses in the city, Woolworth and many others were forced to close.

That movement forced the hands of the authorities in Greensboro, so the successful strategy of sit-ins spread like wild fire throughout the racist USA.

 Hence we can enter any business place today and be served!

The story of that successful strategy to force desegregation is well told at the Civil Rights Museum. 

That was how desegregation was forced on the majority whites to change policies in schools, medicine, voting etc, all the areas that we participate in equally today.

Some of whom excelled in sports after desegregation.

A Nigerian king donated his crown to the  museum.

A klansman costume.

Statue of a young Thurgod Marshall.

The actual lunch counter as it was in 1960.

To appreciate where we are coming from, everyone should visit that museum.

Interestingly, when we took the tour, the vast majority of visitors were white.

I hope that trend continues, as the history presented there is really graffic and stark!

I ❤️ Madame Tussauds

 Wherever I go, I always visit the Madam Tussauds Museum to see which of my favorites have been added.

My only disappointment in Orlando was that there was no Chad Boseman😡, although there was a Narvel section.

Anyway there were some nice replicas of some of the people I admire.

The Rock 😍

It's the car I love😁

They even got his eyes😊

My boy dis

Naturally the new US president was there. But I wouldn't be seen dead with him.😡

There was an aquarium next door and although it didn't have much. I learned a lot. Especially about the octopus which is so intelligent that one was even said to know how to do the rubix cube!

There was one in England too that predicted elections, but I believe it died 

Octopi like shadows, so as this trainer moves out of the light it follows!

This turtle and stingray are friends

A strange looking shark

As Ripley's Believe it or not was nearby at Icon Park, we took it in too.

Always strange things to take in there too.

Icon park and it's surroundings in Orlando is really a great place to hang out.

Too good to be true!

 I love Tamarac Senior Center. Not only for the great exercises I can do there daily,  but also for the new friends one can make there.

New friends made on the trip

Another enjoyable aspect of activities there are the outings; shopping, theatre etc. 

For a while, these trips were on hold, so when I heard about a new one to Boca Raton Museum, I jumped at it, especially when I heard the price $3!!!!!

In front of Boca Museum 

According to Google, it was Richard Carlson an American author who came up with the saying; if it sounds too good to be true, it is.

Well, I fall for it every time 😬. 

So when the Senior Center promoted a $3 trip from the Center on Wednesday February 21st to Boca Museum, although it sounded too Xtra good to be true,  I swallowed it hook line and sinker.

And so did the almost 40 other seniors who boarded the bus today.

Some of the others who swallowed the bait😊.

Front of the museum

When we got there, we discovered to our chargin that the museum had not been informed that our group was coming, so no arrangements had been made for a tour.

$3? Hah.

 That was just for the bus ride for we had to pay another $10 each to enter the museum! 

So much for swallowing bait!

Sigh.

We all went in anyway and in my book it was more than worth it.

On the first floor, they had a section called Smoke and Mirrors where they showed how magic tricks were performed over the years and also debunked so famous fakes.

To explain the magic tricks, they used projectors to create the illusions. 

See some below.

Fascinating stuff and eye openers for gullible people like me!

This to me was more than  worth the money.

And there was more, as they had a section exposing some notorious evangelical frauds.

One was Peter Popoff.

I had seen his ads for miracles on tv and had marveled about his chosen name, as in our Jamaican language, Popoff means scam. 🤣🤣

 Well they exposed 'his miracles' fully, explaining how his wife worked the audience before the miracles, to set up everything,! 

The second floor was good too. It was pure art. 

I especially loved this one by Andy Warhol of Mohammed Ali and the Ancient Americans and African exhibits. 

Some pics are below.

A school trip was there too.

There were some good sculptures on the outside too, in the sculpture garden.

A sculpture outside.

Yup. It turned out to be a good day after all and we were carefully driven to and from the venue by the ever reliable Mr. Elliott.

Pics below of Mizner Park, in front of the museum.