The Virginian-Pilot
©
NORFOLK
Like all good teachers do, Patricia Turner starts her story at the beginning: The Massive Resistance and the Norfolk 17.
“Becoming the Norfolk 17 was not an easy job,” she said as more than 100 people crammed into the Norfolk United Methodist Church fellowship hall Sunday for her Heritage Day talk, which marked the end of the church’s Black History Month events.
“We were chosen by God; we were not picked,” Turner said .
Turner stressed the importance of education by recalling how the Norfolk 17 integrated Norfolk’s schools starting in 1959 . As one of the Norfolk 17, she is often asked to tell the story.
With the very first images she painted, her audience fell silent.
On the first day of school, she said, her mother woke her and made her promise to hold her brother’s hand and her head high. With that in mind, they crossed the imaginary line between blacks and whites on Sewells Point Road and continued on to Norview Junior High School in Norfolk .
“I looked so cute in my little white jacket,” she said, her voice wavering. She remember ed how badly she had wanted the waist-length coat. Her parents had saved up for the gift.
“By the time I got home from school that day, that little white jacket wasn’t white anymore,” she said.
Stones, sticks and spit were among the least disgusting things that pelted her. This behavior was allowed against black students, she said, as long as the objects didn’t leave marks.
Her experiences during the desegregation in Norfolk were peppered with white students scattering from nearby seats, teachers using gloves to touch her papers and acknowledgement of her existence coming only during slavery discussions. Turner moved through school with safety in mind, sitting near doors for a quick escape
and sitting in the front row so that if something happened to her, someone was bound to see.
Her mother and God helped her survive the experience, she said. She graduated from Norview High School and earned degrees from Norfolk State University and Old Dominion University . She is now working on a doctorate at the College of William and Mary .
“Our children must realize that education is the key,” she said. “Education is the key to success and until we can prove how smart we are, we are going to go nowhere.”
Sisters Avery and Alana Calhoun reflected as the adults continued to question Turner about her experiences.
“It was sad. Who would think of something like that?” said Avery, 15 , who was bothered by Turner’s memory of the teacher wearing gloves.
“And because of how cruel it was back then,” added Alana, 14 . She was still thinking about people spitting on the Norfolk 17, she said.
With everything that Turner and the others have gone through, Avery said, “I think that you are not supposed to take education for granted.”
Amy Couteé, (757) 222-5216, amy.coutee@pilotonline.com
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School Intergration
Some can't deal with realities, past or present. I attended James Monroe Elementary in the early '60's for grades 6 & 7. I too saw acts of bigotry & racism, mostly from white faculty & neighbors. I later attended Cradock High in Portsmouth. The racism there was much more overt & intense & came from some faculty, several white students & many of the whites in the neighborhood. The school band played "Dixie" at pep rallies & expected all students to stand and cheer. The Klan newspaper, "The Fiery Cross" was in the school library. Some white teachers actually gave undeserving white students high grades, just so they wouldn't be out done by "smart - ass n.....s". Many of the blacks attending Cradock at that time were from working or middle class neighborhoods, & had relatives, including parents & grandparents that had graduated from college. A number of the white students were from a dirt poor background. Most of the poor whites were from areas such as Academy Park. Perhaps, that may have added to the tensions.
Memories
I will not get into this discussion between the previous posters.
I do want to say how sorry I am that the Norfolk 17 had to endure hate, racism and abuse in order to receive an integrated education in Norfolk in 1959. I guess I was fortunate, I grew up above the Mason-Dixon line and the schools in our town had always been integrated. The children I went to school with were the children of the children my mother went to school with - black and white. No one had to suffer the abuse that the Norfolk 17 had to endure to be educated.
Thank you for telling your story.
Sorry Elmer, But, Only About Correcting Your Typos
But still would like to know. In your previous comment, you said parts were left out IE: the children were unruly, loud, & refused to sit down. What parts were added? Many scientific studies have been done on children's memories during the formative years. Using Google & keywords these studies are accessible by computer. Some of the brain activities in these studies have been compared to adults. You might be surprised at the results. In particular instances including injustice, & or abuse, the incident will be recalled with the utmost clarity. To put it a simply as possible. If a dog's tail is accidentally stepped on, he may still lick your hand a year later. If you intentionally kick him, a year later he may still growl or possibly bite you. In any event he will never forget that.
Finding fault with typing errors doesn't change the facts
To the reader who felt compelled to correct my typing errors: I was so angry when I read this article I failed to correct my spelling errors. Happy? This doesn't change the fact that the woman is telling things from memories she had as a child and not an adult. What she think she lived, has parts left out of it and other parts added.
The Previous Comment
The, then colored, kids weren't unruly.
In fact, from some people, they had to take some really sorry treatment.After I graduated, I cannot say personaly.
From those who I know that have persued teaching careers, they are not being supported by the school system and thus do not have control of students that teachers had then.
Re Distorted Memory of Events
remember, constantly, credibility...If my father was a teacher, he probably would not forgive me misspelling words easier than the youngsters were spelling in the recent spelling bee. I wont even detail the numerous punctuation errors. If his teaching skills were so lax that his own child can't spell or punctuate his sentences properly, then I submit perhaps his memory of the event may be the distorted one. If not, perhaps it is the student himself who remembers incorrectly. This is only an example, but if someone was beaten decades ago, they will remember the event far longer, & with greater clarity, than the one who delivered said beating. This woman is telling her story before God in a church. No offense sir, but, I believe her version.
Distorted version of Norview
The Virginan Pilot has chosen not to publish a white persons version of life at Norview high school then.including my version of what my father who taught at Norview High School witnessed. This person's version paints an altogether different version of an adult versions of the situation at Norview.Let's remmeber that this person's memories are childhood memories and we all know that things we remember as kids are not what really happened. The black kids that my father had in his class at Norview were unruly and loud. He had a constant battle on his hands trying to get them to sit down and behave. He contstantly told them that their education was what THEY made of it.He wasn't giving out free grades to anyone. I don't give much crediability to this persons eyewitness account based on the fact she was a child then.The Virginan Pilot shouldn't either.
Norfolk 17
What a truly sad and depressing time in our Nation's history. Ms Turner is an inspiration to us all.
Patrica & Norfolk 17
1959. Ike was in office & I was just being born. There were 2 new stars added to the US flag. Norfolk schools were integrated. Thank you for you bravery, & all you put up with. We all have to live together & get along, & your efforts were not in vain. Historically, there has been prejudice between races in Va, but daily this has &` will diminish as we interact, as schoolmates, coworkers, & neighbors, at least that is my personal hope, & the mission of the Norfolk 17.
NHS "63
Thank You Pat.