61 years ago: Friday, November 22
Certain images anchor our memories, and they are forever linked to the stories that become our history.
Over the past few years as the anniversary approached of the unspeakable horror of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, I began receiving countless requests to re-post my essay, November 22, 1963: Where I Was, about the historic American tragedy, which I first wrote many years ago. Several of my readers have often pointed out my personal connection to the revelation of the tragic event by virtue of Affirmative Action, Executive Order #10925. This was one of President Kennedy’s signature legislative policies and was referred to as the President’s Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity (PCEEO or EEOC). Whether my connecting circumstance was a manifestation of divine intervention or providence, fate, or destiny remains questionable. But perhaps it’s still worth sharing.
On that historic and devastatingly tragic day in our history, I was a 19-year-old teletype machine trainee in the corporate headquarters of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (later AT&T) which, at that time was located in the Union Commerce Building on Ninth Street and Euclid Avenue in Cleveland. I had interviewed for the position and been hired the previous day and it was my first day on the job. After braving a fierce winter snowstorm with howling winds, slippery…
