Nate McDonough - Up South In Akron 1959 (Page 7) lyrics

[Page 7] The Green Turtle was the spot where the powers-that-be went to pick up their bag money for known criminal activity on the street. The White man was young, but he must have had some connections because he was being very belligerent and disrespectful. The Black detectives decided to arrest him. The White guy resisted them, but the detectives finally managed to clap some cuffs on him. Just as they are about to take the man and put him in their car, here comes a squad car from out of nowhere, red lights flashing and siren wailing. Two uniformed White police officers jump out. Without saying a word to anyone, they pull the White man away from the Black detectives, uncuff him, and toss the cuffs into the detectives's car. They escort the White man to their squad car, and drive off without answering any of the questions the Black detectives were asking them. The Black detectives try as best they can to regain their composure. They look over at Big J, who watched the whole thing go down. He just gives them a somewhat rea**uring nod. They get in their car and take off down the hill to the bottom, where they will have a little more power and a little more respect. And we all understood why Big J was so cruel and so callous for the rest of the night. This was Akron Ohio in the Fifties. This was America in the Fifties. No matter whether you were, up South or down North, you were and always would be just another n******g to them.