Saturday morning Vernon and I must have been cutting grass around the same time. So when word of his death was relayed to me on Facebook, it was a shock.

Vernon Malone and I have known each other for over 20 years when we were both members of Martin Street Baptist Church. He has always had that headful of white hair.

Over the years we disagreed and were very disagreeable behind the scenes. But never one on one.

We simply didn't always march to the beat of the same drum.

Vernon and I served in the Raleigh-Apex branch of the NAACP in the mid 80s. We were named by the President, David Forbes, to a committee of three to identify new officers. Since we could never get Vernon to a meeting, the other member and I named ourselves as President and Vice President.

My intimate Martin Street Baptist Church connection ended when the church fired Pastor David Forbes. Though I don't know the exact numbers, many left, eventually forming the Christian Faith Baptist Church. The ones who remained included Vernon. I left and changed my denomination.

The well known Raleighites who are members of Martin Street are rarely named. At one time it included many who are now deceased, including Vernon's wife, Mrs. Susie Malone, the late Paul Vandergrift, and my other Republican buddy, Jimmy Keith. The members still include many insiders with the Democratic Party. And others who have achieved a measure of greatness, like former Wake County Schools Superintendent Bill McNeal, Raleigh City Councilor James West and several retired educators.

In politics, Vernon did not like being challenged by black people. I found it reminiscent of the old days, when women were to be seen but not heard. I never ran against him for political office. He heard many of my speeches because I always seemed to be running against his friends, namely, former House Rep. Bernard Allen and Wake Commissioner Harold Webb. If Vernon was on the ballot, he would carefully denounce more than 50% of my words when possible. But he never called me by name or out of my name.

It was out of courtesy to him that I didn't speak at the Concerned Citizens for African American children meeting at Martin Street because our views on public school education differs. I'm still friendly with many older members there because they have taught me a lot over the years.

Vernon always seemed genuinely surprised when I spoke to him as he escorted my opponent, Wake Commissioner (now Chairman) Harold Webb to various forums. I wish I had paid closer attention and spoken more often.

With Southeast Raleigh politics you never know who are friends. I assumed that because of their regular, pointed anger towards me for being ‘that black Republican' that he was friends with all 'leaders'. I recently learned (during a long, fun-filled lunch) that Vernon would disengage himself from certain other Southeast Raleigh activists, because he knew too much about their ‘real intentions'.

You would think that Vernon absolutely hated Republicans. I don't believe that. He just seemed to dislike black Republicans, like Henry McKoy, who served one term as State Senator for District 14 seat. And me.

When I changed to the Democratic Party for a brief interlude, I was acceptable. But when I saw that their maneuvering still excluded me, I returned to the Republican Party.

White Republicans always spoke highly of him, although they continue to ask me why progress in Southeast Raleigh is so slow.

I won't go to his funeral. For one thing, I'm not crazy about big crowds. Besides, most people in the area knew that we were not friends.

But if a pint of blood or a cup of water would have kept him here longer, I would have been the first to offer it.

Related Links

1. http://www.VenitaPeyton.com