MLK and my high school

[CherokeeDem]

I Remember that Night and the Next Day...

I was in high school in Greenville, SC and the teacher in my first class of the day was a callous young woman who none of us were fond of to begin with. As class settled down, she made a comment about the events of the night before and then said..."Well, all this means is one less of those people we have to worry about." My fellow classmates were all white...but one male student stood up and without saying a word, turned his back on her and soon we were all standing with our backs to her. She ran out of the room yelling that she was going to tell the principal. He did come, without her, told us to have seat, use this hour as a study hall, and we would have a substitute teacher the next day. We never saw that bigot again.

This high school had several black students and was in an affluent area of Greenville, yet racism hadn't reared it's ugly head as of then. The most loved student in a huge student body was a black guy and he was the most fun, full of school spirit, led most of the pep rallies. Only after forced busing, did things get bad. When people on this board talk about the "racist" south, I think about that day when a group of young white students took a stand against such bigotry. As I have said before, racism knows no state boundaries and can manifest itself in many ways. But that day...it wasn't allowed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I orginally posted this as a response to the video of RFK's speech the night Martin Luther King was killed. Yodermon suggested that I post this for everyone. I will never forget that day in that classroom or the power that a group of people could have if they stood up for what is right.

[ceile]

1. Wonderful!

K&R

[panAmerican]

2. A small amount of courage from each one of us is all it takes.

[mitchum]

3. I also went to high school in Greenville, SC

That teacher sounds deplorable
You and your classmates did an admirable thing