The class of 1969 was an emotionally trying time for me. I discovered love or true love for the first time in my life. During our years from elementary school, and some of my classmates and myself went to kindergarten together, a bond was established. Little did I realize that this relationship would last into my senior years. I will not dare mention names because who am I to call people out (know what I mean?) from the years of learning my ABC's until I learned the importance of integrity, honor, spirituality, and true hope for a class that was deemed the last black class of students from ole Booker T. Washington High School. Remember this, haters existed in those days. Why couldn't we be called a great African American class? Oh I forgot, In the year 1966-67-68 we were still colored people. I remember the great assemblies that were held by Doctor John Leslie Patton, and his quotes were"we will take these second-hand books and make ourselves first class people". During that last year of our African-American existence at Bulldog High School, I considered it a slur to be treated any less than any other student in the country; simply because I knew we were special, a rare breed, a bruised but valiant warriors for each other, yes each other! I was saddened when I found out that the last class must accept one more disgraceful slur. The superintendant of Dallas schools W.T. White used his accounting office to inform us (the graduating class of 1969) we could not graduate from our only High School that we ever knew. Those folks on Ross Avenue needed us to be humble and beg at that school board meeting. Doctor Patton taught us to not beg, but to treat all people with mutual respect and admiration, love your enemies. The last senior class planned to attend that meeting in bulldog armor, and not in some sort of submissive shame, my, my what a challenge to endur! The main topic or issue was related to the fact that the 1969 class had to be desegrated and sent to other schools because the class of BTW's class of 1969 did not qualify to graduate because there was an insufficient number to graduate. We now know that everything we learned we used, a little pride, honor, dignity, and love for the 1969 class. If I may, I desire to thank the 69 alumni for persistence, and speak for the class of our legacy that we loved those that passed through those halls of BTW before us; this is our SEASONS GREETINGS TO THE BULLDOG FAMILY. A TEAR FOR MY PEOPLE #69
Pastor Kenneth Adams--Divine Church of Grace
Replies
Thank you so kindly--Kenneth W. Adams 2-29-2012
Claudette Hopkins said:
I just read this. Learned a few things I did not know, I was not in Dallas in 1969 in fact I left in 1965.
How strong of you to write with such pride about you and your classmates not letting anyone bring you down. I salute your pride, honor and dignity.