A photograph of a black father holding a white baby went popular on social media. When viewers realized what was truly going on in the photo, they couldn’t believe what they saw.
“So a lot of people like this picture. So I wanted to take a minute to tell the story,” Facebook user Cody Shugart captioned a snapshot of his son sitting in the lap of a black man. Shugart went on to identify the black man as Milton West, who was his childhood next door neighbor. Shugart had many a good memory with Milton West at the center.
“Milton West was my childhood next door neighbor,” wrote Shugart. “I knew him as Mr. Chip. He retired from DOW chemical as an operator. He has always been there for me since I was two years old. Growing up without a father was always difficult for me. But the good lord surrounded me with great men, Mr.Chip was one of them.”
“He constantly preached the value of an education, taught me how to take care of a yard, he taught me to see people for who they are not what they look like, he taught me how to treat my mother like a saint and many other life lessons,” added Shugart. “His contributions to me becoming a good son, man, and father were huge. I am forever grateful for God putting him in my life.”
“So this past May, my wife and I had a little boy named Bob Wayne Shugart,” explained Cody Shugart. “When Mr. Chip and his wife Shirley saw him, they fell in love with him. They babysit him sometimes, and we go and visit when we can. The last time we were over there, Mr. Chip said he wants to be called ‘POP.’ He says that’s his grandson. So we had to come up with a name for his wife. We decided on Lolli!”
“So we tell Bob Wayne we are going to see Lolli Pop!” wrote Shugart. “I’m grateful that Lolli and Pop will be part of my son’s life. If he learns half of the things from Mr. Chip as I did, he will become a great son, man, and father.”
“Everyday, I read something negative and how race relations are worse than ever. I disagree, and I hope this is a positive loving message to many people. This is just one story in little ol Victoria, Texas. I’m sure there are millions of similar stories across the United States,” he concluded.
Cody Shugart’s poignant story serves as a great reminder that real love sees no color — it is blind. A man like Milton West may make a huge impact in the life of Cody Shugart, who was longing for a strong male role model because he didn’t have a father at home.
It’s simple to see why this photo has gone viral, especially because our globe appears more divided than ever before. Please share this story if you were moved by Milton West’s influence on Cody Shugart’s life and the effect he is now making in the lives of young Bob Wayne.
