Official Site of the Vikings · Feb 19, 2016
Greg Coleman: 'Reach Back as You Climb'
When Greg Coleman’s father became the first black salesman at a JCPenney in Jacksonville, Florida, the elder Coleman was assigned a work space in the basement.At least it was a start and provided an opportunity to climb.
Coleman said African Americans would select items from the other parts of the store, take them to the basement and wait in a line because they wanted to show support for his father.
Born in 1954, Coleman has vivid memories of segregationist policies: water fountains, busses, schools.
“I remember whites’ only drinking fountains, and knowing me and my inquisitive mind, I wanted to drink out of it to see if there was any difference between the water,” he recalled.
