At 73, Man Finally Gets Diploma Denied For Defying Segregation

[PoliticAverse]

There was no pomp and circumstance, no procession with classmates, but on Friday a school district in Illinois finally handed Alva Early his high school diploma — more than five decades after he attended Galesburg High School.

In 1959, Galesburg banned Earley from graduating and denied him a diploma after he and other African-Americans had a picnic in a park that was unofficially off-limits to blacks.

Earley, now a retired attorney, says he never thought the day would come, but as the Galesburg class of '59 gathered for a reunion this weekend, the school superintendent called Earley forward, dressed in his college gown, to accept his diploma.

Full text and audio story at:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/codeswitch/2014/08/10/339212827/at-73-man-finally-gets-diploma-denied-for-defying-segregation

[Aristus]

1. One injustice rectified, millions more to go...

Congratulations, sir! It was long, long overdue...

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

2. rectifying injustice seems to be a slow process.

Just look at the refugees at our borders and the hatred directed at them.

[noiretextatique]

4. it is only slow because of regressive forces

Vested in denying a wrong was done in the first place.

[Uncle Joe]

3. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, PoliticAverse.

[Judi Lynn]

5. So glad Mr. Earley kept driving straight ahead, and found a way to succeed. He didn't give up.

A lot of people would have been overwhelmed and assumed they couldn't move forward, I have no doubt at all.

I hope at least some of the monstrosities who moved to ban this young man and his friends are still alive and have heard about his additional triumph, in spite of their evil deeds.

So late in coming, but I'm glad it happened while he was still living. Best wishes to Mr. Earley.