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How does a legend begin and where?

by Beverly Buchanan

Clarence Thomas COULD have been one of my legends, but he wasn't. Other have been doctors, and chemists and teachers and such. It wouldn't have been hard to conjure up an image of such a man, but...I hadn't. President Bush nominated him, at age 43, to the US Supreme Court. Where and what is Pinpoint, Georgia, I wanted to know. As the foothills of the Piedmont gave way to the flat softness of the low country, visions of home food played over my weak mind. I began my search for Pinpoint and answers and no answers about Judge Clarence Thomas. Directions from Savannah were accurate. Once off the highway the stark simplicity was almost overwhelming. Who could imagine this? Photos were taken of houses, and I saw a blue and green house that still can't fit somehow in my color eye with the exact value of that blue and that green. It seemed time to leave after awhile the existing main road. I stopped what I thought was a vegetable truck. I pulled up and said, "are you selling vegetables?" So, I'm thinking, take this back to Athens and you'll have a flavor to think about. Food from the ocean and vegetables from the soil, you are after all, a low country woman. The sea, air, smell, are appreciated. No, it's not a paper mill, it's the ocean. He said, laughing, I'm bringing food to my aunt. I apologized and told him, why and how I was there. He then told us about "him", the judge. And told us how to find the house in which he was raised. And a little building from which his mother cleaned crabs for a living at one time. I asked about trespassing rules, not wanting to offend. No, he said. I took off. He had said a lot in a short time. The judge used some money to hire local black youth, giving them no need for possible harm and riches from drugs. He began to explain the community closeness and to say how proud everyone was of Clarence Thomas. As I took at this boyhood house, I looked at the familiar Spanish moss, and large old oaks, and out to the wonderful view of the marsh. I felt humble and respectful. Small Clarence Thomas a sense of themselves that says, No matter what, we know that you know that you are somebody here. And that all else who might think otherwise are irrelevant. This pride and guts and initiative are chromosomed upon them by birth and never change. If you could feel this you'd die a satisfied human being. Thank you, Pinpoint. Thank you, Georgia.

Saturday, July 6, 1991
Athens, Georgia

July 2, 1981 Brunswick, GA

Went to Ebo Landing on St Simons Island. Black policeman (Nathaniel) helped me find it. He'd never heard the true story of slaves chained together, walked into the water and drowned while singing, "The water has brought us, the water will take us away."