David Lovejoy and Clifford Lovejoy

00:04 I my name is David Lovejoy. I'm 53 years old. Today is November 5th 2020. I'm here in Amarillo, Texas. Channel European born and raised and I'm going to talk to my father Clifford Lee on Lovejoy. He's been a great dad. Tell me your name. That doesn't love joy menu.

00:31 Are you afraid I might have more and I'm trying to go on October 4th. My dad is growing up in the South differed nets for 3 this children. I have an older brother Clifford Jr. My sister dying or myself. First off. My dad is always been the big brother to the deleter. He had an older brother and older sister, but there's a story that they talked about when he was a little kid and the insurance man tell me if they get loud American people go around and see if people insurance and you come to the house one day.

01:30 Elliott home and have inspired years old and they look at me and you're a damn big enough, but I ain't over there. I just knocked him out.

01:52 Are we all ready to answer? I'm going on anyway, the kids and reclaim trees and stuff like a group of trees together is supposed to be colored Walker in the treetop. That's where we go from One Tree to the next week.

02:15 And where

02:18 You don't have a lot of toys that play with me taking the Stephen King the movie called a Prince Albert can read it over and beating up on the side where the rim come out for wagon Hub. And when taking that use it for a car while you're running around really be all this stuff like that and you had an older brother and sister.

02:51 In first person, we all stay together and 529.

03:02 Vampires in the neighborhood McGregor and shoulder in Arkansas in 10 years old in there come out here in Texas and 47 and it is 3 in Texas and sharecropping and stay there until I mean 49 we go to come over to Memphis Texas and reach out continents and their picture won the cup in January and 51 then M really ever since salmon sweet potato salad together.

04:02 Before we show taking care of your mom and your younger sisters one brother Robert picture that we have Joe Louis the brown bomber and he's posing with Robert Robert drenk lie as a child lies to years old number to the number for industrial use for that week and bring water that has

04:52 Dinner near party Rochelle had a big black but it would be as far and that's where we bought her clothing and have hot water to eat with clothes. That's what we did it. Worst day. I didn't work they were doing on Saturday and Friday and when I forgot now on you anyway.

05:17 We're good time not getting in. We had a big rainstorm on Lake Washington fish and then I will do it take a break and go and pick it up in the store near the Robin was two years old and had a mason jar and put water in your clothes and do that. Robert. You're stupid for milk and drank it and Bernie's esophagus in his throat and he had to have surgery and go to the big city and have surgery and there's a picture that we have Joe Louis the brown bomber the boxer visiting him in the hospital and busy with them is the funniest ironic because if you look behind the picture you can see some iced tea and it's his little brother champ kicking me a naughty child.

06:17 That were in high school and then Robert which the youngest and tell him what happened on Al Roberts Bestway that little boy is the friend that lives across the street from him in the Niger good buddies in the area Cross Street Properties energy comes back the last surgery head nail supposed to take his balloon thing I did too, but they didn't take it out. When you get back in your taking a drink. You ain't got to do sometimes when you get strangled. Pastry in your the cavity. It comes Pearl Street and their New York.

07:11 Last time you got to work on the railroad.

07:18 David the money in the New Haven, getting my car and he was working a little bit over a heron Hotel here in Amarillo. And you're going to go get him a call when you get scared 16, but he didn't make it. At 15 years old because of my parents work at the North side. And then I'm leaving getting ready to get on the airplane. My dad took me to the airport and he said read your Bible and he said if you're looking for your own at 17 years old and he's talking about but I sharted notice and you place I went.

08:11 The minorities always on the other side of the tracks the city might start have started on that.

08:27 And that's what happened did they they leave the minority going to try to attract wealth and he saw the future and saw that this is going to the neighborhood was going to go down in the neighborhood and we were the second African-American family to move South of I-40 and that was sort of the boundary line the highway I-40 run east and west from one part of the country together. And so we moved to the South side and in the irony of that story my mom's sister. She can speak to my mom for two years because she felt like that she had forsaken a roots and that we thought we were sedated we had to leave with live people and I was raised in a household where my parents did you wear the best clothes. I can remember buying a pair of shoes with my first job and I got them at a store called.

09:27 Michael Jackson's Thriller beat it was the day video for the rage and my dad saw him and maybe take him back because they were cheap and they got plastic soles and he said best shoes are ruined your feet. I had to wear hand-me-downs and my feet were bad. He just pay the money for good shoes that they made me work at you that I had advantages other kids didn't have I my brother my brother he graduated night. I was just for the fifth grade when he was in high school and we would all need and my dad was usually gone to work at the railroad by that timer for some reason dad was here with Mom and my brother come strolling into grab breakfast and he's got jeans on at this is the height of the Disco era and the Soul band. He's got the big afro and the platform shoes and he's going to jeans

10:27 And my dad looked at it and ask him what you going to plow a field this morning and he got to look confused cuz I I worked you hard and I had to wear what I had to go to school. I make enough money. I take care of you out enough that you can dress decently and go put some pants on slacks and shoes and end it because my dad said I had him and I couldn't choose how I dress it as soon as dad like that still doesn't it has to be a odd occasion for him to wear tennis shoes, and he just he moved it to stop Amarillo for better opportunity always stretching his children you belong anywhere don't ever feel like because the color of the skin or what you do or what you how you do it you belong in that my dad chose.

11:27 Wasn't right when you work for as a work in a house with a domestic work and he work for telling a story about what you sent her son to talk to you what you told her. She had her son and daughter down in Dallas, Texas.

11:59 Be there in maybe get into it if you want me to work with you. I'm here and I'm staying here to understand that if she call you.

12:28 Are you going to help nothing, but she called very cold and you do you get down the stand that then we can all get along together. So we never did have no more problem after that that we use and how we identify ourselves. We really say that my dad is the epitome of Conservative Christian. He doesn't miss a day of church. He's been president of Russia board Statewide locally, and I used to joke with people if you went to a funeral and the north side of Amarillo a black funeral, you know, my dad's if you open the door for you and my dad always said, there's no place you don't belong and nobody is better than you and you can do whatever you want to there was never

13:28 Gauges we need some for school. We got it. We we had some advantages that my cousin's maybe didn't have because of the size of their family and only three kids in mind, but we never knew that because we were taught to understand that and I know the sacrifices my parents made so I can do that stuff in the 80s. I will not use the school and I wore the latest fashion styles and my parents worked hard to do that for me and my father's worked hard his whole life and the one thing he's taught us. All is to do it with pride now. That is a zoo every move the time. You lost your sister. I think what the name brand who died first.

14:28 Play and then the baby daughter Brenda had ovarian cancer in Woodbury quickly and then and then just here recently his younger brother Tim passed away. And so now it's him his younger sister sister after him and then one more sister was next to the baby the baby after Robin passed away. And so Dad is a weekly. Look at this address is and we lost my mother in 92 93, and yes, I am most minorities family. My brother was born on my mom's 30th birthday. They were an older couple and thought they were my grandparents.

15:28 Because even in the Sandy they were young kids having kids at 20213 to my parents had a maturity and and it wasn't like that but I guess you got away with murder that wouldn't pass in my house. You know, they they didn't play that and so we were taught respect we went to church participate in church education was very important to us and my mom passed away dad.

16:02 How to make steel could you guys have been together so long is a 1970 292 inboard, you know, if I see you have a partner for many years, you know, you just feel lost she's doing with that people. Give me going

16:48 Are our friends that way we had a good Brotherhood has kept me going on, you know, turn Bautista pandemic thing here in there that might as well. Do you hear from your friends come from and keep your mind on Jesus is you make everything alright helping and doing nothing with my dad delivered meals for Meals on Wheels. And I know most of the people he gave deliver food to wear half his age and he had 85-84 might have to make him stop and he

17:48 Santa Fe Railroad and when he retired my brother just buy anything in my dad's going to help them and they said well we got to stop doing that. And if you do that you'll die because you didn't work if you make him sit in the chair and not be active to die tomorrow evening chilling because that's what he's always did his work and hard work and he doesn't mind that. It's amazing to see pictures. Like helping you got to do the age of a hundred.

18:38 And she passed away with five years ago 95698. I asked her how she feels b98 years old and you know, I thought you'd be I got home yesterday and she said baby. You don't want to be this tall and I looked at.

19:01 Husband a Moshi kids dead. All your friends dead Islamic be this out by like that and was just a fun woman. My dad had to learn.

19:19 GK from generation was that they're not emotional men aren't emotional. But if the action that show the love you can say words all day long by the actions of my father and my mother and my family watching port and at now at this stage 86 years old is just you and two sisters left.

19:51 Riccio country guy that just riding in the street that you were there back in the fifties and sixties civil rights movement and the turmoil and now we should do this again, you know that it's coughing up. I have a son graduate from West Point to auction the Army I sure did and I worry because my grandpa's want to go live with my dad and my dad want to go to lunch with me and just live in a world where there was no colored you could be anything to do everything and I wanted the same. I thought I could give that to my son and then the events of our world happened and my son is no safer than his father was in the South back in the twenties. It's really it's ironic in the strange. We have all these freedoms and these so-called quality, but my son a grown man almost a major in the United States are

20:51 Has no more protection than a sharecropper 1920 in the South because they can take his life with no reason at any time and let's be honest about the color of the skin. My dad taught us that a funny story. I'll tell you real quick to funny story that I shot you to tell me about online with it on TV and without missing a beat and I'll look it up for what he did. Y'all go out now you to eat here. I like to sleep in. I love you with my clothes. Look how much more do you need?

21:40 X is Thomas a lesson that that hard work until you get there and nothing to ever give it to you. I think my dad want to stay I can give you the stuff but it's not go to prepare you for what the world of the year because nobody could give you anything in the world my dad never knew about the racial issues, but he didn't let that deter him and he said he never really had an issue with someone, you know, the feeling threatened or being attacked that you know, he saw the bathroom the colored bathrooms in Watertown, but my dad didn't pay that and when he moved in the 70. Here to stop Amarillo. Yeah, the big mote there like there's only one other African American Family on this side of town, but I guess it I work hard and I can get the best I can have the best. My money is just as green as their money.

22:40 And that's what he told all these kids my brother lived in Lawrence, Kansas University of Kansas. Now him his life around California taking care of her elderly mother my sister graduates, Texas Tech University and this in Lubbock and they just striving I join the army pay for the Army and program director and Mike of the radio station and anything we need for Education any book any tool anything that I might want a new baseball glove that might take a minute. But if I need to book I got it that day. That's that's that's what my parents instilled in us that they can take everything from you that you take a fancy car. They take your home then you can sometimes take your name and your pride they can't take education with and you can always rebuild with education that we see what's going on.

23:40 You see ride just like you do as a kid. I saw that on TV. What's your hope for this world moving forward?

23:50 Man on Jesus and be all right and read your Bible and Edward.

24:04 Raytheon God's word never what he said before you said nothing or nobody else can do it for you said and that's where you come out. All right, if we don't crash in new employee assessment, you know his word and his word is true. He never showed any wear whatever you say it is. That's what it is. You do never go back on Drury Way. We make a promise to you and keep check on but we we pay it on iPhone we say was that if we do and then we don't never keep up.

24:39 That's what we feel and then you shouldn't hold it is not keeping true that promises and we can change to do like Jesus said then we would never have no problem said don't go out in the street before you two don't cry out loud. People know who you are by how you are and my dad's not allow me and my Dad mobile. He's very quiet. But everybody knows the Men season, no just character and his heart until you said you was never fails of my dad. My mother never fell. My father has never failed me and it it's the difference in what the world.

25:39 No.

25:40 My dad, my mom said I was like then so I could have built as a kid and especially now I have you been single I got to do me at your parents and your parents until they felt dirty than a child Sage or my face. That's just the way the rules work. You don't stop here 1850 repair until one of these gone and my father is is just an example and then I tell people because he is just installed the Rock and Elaine to be hardcore and I was crying and my dad said where you going to be strong?

26:40 But he didn't mean it. Like I was really expect you just said she sometimes you got to be the one not to cry you have to stand strong and let people see that and I thank you for it still in that it be bad to stand strong and always stand for what you believe in and do what you want to do to do what you got to do is laugh when you go out and you know, what?

27:15 Eric Rhino Heaven is just more hurt on you, but you can't tell him what he says and that's where you'll be in the world and not have any fear and kind of taxes and I never had any problem and it was called out of my name is nothing like it or leave it by the right we never had no problem in which were we all got along together?

28:13 Big Southern sheriffs and stuff like that. That's what you people y'all did in community Ram you go ahead and put music in.

28:34 Do you know you guys you got some you know, what they call the redneck and you don't have so many long as you live.

28:43 Radio signal. It's just any blood you're going to die like that. But you never won Creator and he made everything and everybody and show you just you know, what you are. My dad told me that I didn't make you mad over a word they control you cuz of work you lost your cool because of a word.

29:40 Did you should do that? Damn you got to go down there tell if you be called Niger by a whole lot better class of white folks. My dad taught me to be proud of who I am the proud of what I do understand Shaw and I think you did good. Thank you. We appreciate this opportunity for me to introduce you to my TV show people that use the part as you come back alive, if you're not here, or you just did your job. This is not even though this is danai example. My whole life has been a football player basketball player. Will my Idols are my parents because they afford anything and Shelby things that I still use and due to the static. So, thank you very much.

30:42 And here you should be a parent and that's Christmas with the Bible say

30:48 Where do you still have to be you? You stay there until you die. That's it. Thank you for that.