The Day JFK Died
That year I'd returned from
a delightful year in Jamaica, W.I.
There was the March on Washington
Things were looking up for minorities
Personally, everything going well
I was a legal secretary
at United Chemical Corporation
in New York.
Busy typing a legal brief
One of the secretaries
ran through my department
yelling
Kennedy's been shot!
The President's been shot!
I leaped out of my seat
Ran to the executive area
where the radio was blasting.
Everyone gathered around
President Kennedy was shot
during a motorcade
in Dallas
He's being rushed to the hospital
He's been shot in the head
No details on the extent of the wound
I was stunned
Tears cascaded down my face
My God, this can't be true
We've lost our civil rights advocate
First Lincoln, now Kennedy
People stared at me crying unashamedly
I didn't care
This affected me more than them
Some of them were
card carrying conservatives anyway
The radio kept blaring the same
unbelievable message
The room was full now
The word had spread like wildfire
I covered my typewriter
Got my handbag
Went to my boss's office
and said
I'm going home
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