By Frances Bryce, January 11, 2018 — [I remember] living in the south during times when segregation was a way of life, in the small town where I was born, as well as others in both the north and the south. We learned early how to live in a town where “we the People” did not include people of color.
One of my experience living in the segregated city of Lauren, S.C. occurred when my high school was leveled by fire. I can’t recall how long the building of the new school took. We were housed in one of the Black churches until the completion of the new school. Soon the seats from the White school were placed in the new school (the ones that was permanent, that we moved to the floor and the new seats were sent to the White school.)
Old uniforms from the same school was given to the Black school (mind you they were not the school colors and the purchase of new uniforms were made available to the White school.) There were charges made after parents were given the choice of attending the Black school or the integrated (former all White school; a number of kids and parents opt to stay in their previous school.” I persuaded my brother to send his kids to the integrated school because I knew the resources would be in the school that was integrated and thus getting the best of what was offered to the education system.
Things have changed there in only one high school in Lauren, since the laws that were already implemented were now honored, not easily, but successfully.