It was a "Blast from the Past" as young and old came out to celebrate Barbara E. White’s birthday. (photos by B. White)

I-Witness namesake Barbara E. White celebrated her birthday in style at Gray’s Childcare Development Center. It was one of the best parties, I’ve attended all year, and I had big fun. Barbara E. White and I-Witness share a long history, bill collectors, school systems everybody mixed us up because we shared the same name.

The funniest was her almost being fired from several jobs for my activism. She would get called in by her bosses and told she could not protest, boycott or make phones calls to radio stations or she would be fired. Of course, she would tell them it wasn’t her, she was threaten so much that she decided to get involved in her community and she has been an advocate for social change ever since.

Barbara celebrated her day with a "Blast from the Past." We were all back in the day, where teens wore poodle skirts, spats, and children played games like Tic-Tac-Toe, hopscotch, and pick-up-sticks. Every table was a game table. There was a table filled with plenty of penny candy like jaw-breakers, lemon drops, buttons, Boston baked beans, candy necklaces, smarties, Mary Jane and atomic fireballs, all my childhood favorites.

Barbara’s children were on hand to party with her, Kimberly Ware, LeCrystal Griffin, Adonis and TyKesha White. Her 92-year-old mother-in-law, Jeffie White, her aunt, Corene Smith, uncle and aunt, Casper and Beverly Waddell and her 18 grandchildren.

Cousin Joe was the D.J. and he was rocking the house, even I had to get a piece of some of that. It was a party y’all.

This was some kind of party, I didn’t know if I was in the ’70s by DJ Cousin Joe or if I was in the ’50s and Happy Days were here again, Holla!

They were doing "Patty cake, patty cake, bakers man, make me a cake as fast as you can." Holla! If you thought that was something you are not going to believe that Barbara and her guest were doing the hula-hoop, they had me rollin’ on the floor, Holla!

They jumped rope, played marbles, and did the hokey pokey. Okay, I know all of you are on the floor, Holla!

There were all kinds of things to eat, animal crackers, roasted salted peanuts, roasted garlic, old-fashioned dill pickles, and peanut butter and jelly. Not to mention sweet corn and roasted turkey among other favorites.

Folks were blowing bubbles, visiting the sing-along area, and all things were from the ’50s as we drank none other than real Kool-Aid and lemonade.

As an advocate for her community, Barbara even had a table called Coins for Gray’s Kids, where you could donate to help some of the children at the center.

Okay y’all I’m having too much fun. All my childhood returned for a day, no we weren’t suffering from Alzheimer’s, or anything, nor was Barbara over the hill, she was just reaching a peak, Holla!

Hey, Barbara I had a great time. I couldn’t wait to join you for hula-hoop or hokey, pokey, but what I loved most was the Bunny hop, Holla! This party was so much fun, I wish all our children could experience some of the fun and creative things we did as children. Happy Birthday; wishing you many more.