What to do when you find something disturbing but historically significant?

[CuriousCollector]

The only thing that really embarrasses me about my old diaries is my extremely bad poetry -- and yet, I poured forth those words with so much pre-teen angst and emotion, and was very proud of them!  Ah, the amusing self-importance of the young!

[frogpatch]

I have a Southern Cookbook published in 1967. There are "cute" little poems using the N word all through it. This was published in print, not hand written. My wife collects Black Americana and she has some items that are shocking in their racism and are not that old. I was in the very deep south in 1969 and driving a truck for my job with NY plates. I had side burns but my hair was short. I was called Yankee and hippie and I was lucky to escape some areas with my life and I am very white. I thought I was going to have the same fate as Jack Nicholson in Easy Rider. Cotton was still picked by hand in the very deep South in 1969 and the "free" blacks were free not do do anything else. On the brighter side the people in other areas, especially Tennessee were among the most hospitable and friendliest people that I have ever met.

[mart]

Hey Frogpatch,, Try Texas !! I think we are pretty nice too !!