NORFOLK
Morning worship at First Baptist Church Norfolk on Bute Street was as much of a homecoming as it was "Freedom Sunday."
John Charles Thomas, former Virginia Supreme Court justice and one of the church's native sons, returned as guest speaker to honor the Norfolk 17, the first African-American students to desegregate Norfolk Public Schools almost 50 years ago.
Their milestone did not come easily, Thomas said, as his voice thundered like a preacher's. In September 1958, six city schools closed under state laws that forbade blacks and whites from attending classes together. The 17 then found a home at First Baptist when the church set up classes to teach courses such as Spanish and English, and how not to fight back when punched and spat on, the most enduring lesson they would need when schools opened in February 1959 and they entered previously all-white schools.
"While the state was practicing Massive Resistance," Thomas said, referring to the laws established to keep schools segregated, "these young people were learning passive resistance.... We knew that you were soldiers in the army, and we're so glad that First Baptist helped you put on that armor of God."
Freedom Sunday not only honored the 17, but it began a month long celebration of the church's 208th anniversary. First Baptist organized as an integrated church for whites, free blacks and slaves.
More than 1,500 packed its pews for the church service. Ten of the Norfolk 17, along with relatives of those absent or who have died, filled the first three. They swayed with the church's choirs, which laced the service with hymns and civil rights songs, such as "Hold On."
Thomas began his speech with thanks to the 17. He said he was able to attend Maury High in the mid-1960s because of them. But even by his time, Maury was still isolating. Thomas recalled showing a poem he'd written to a teacher; she refused it and told him that she didn't believe a black child could write such a piece.
Though the nation has made progress, Thomas related the struggle for equal rights to science.
"How does physics get into a sermon?" he asked. "Trying not cutting your grass, and see what happens. Try not painting your house, and see what happens," he said, his voice rising.
"Try not fighting for freedom, and see what happens.... It takes energy today. It takes energy tomorrow."
After the service, the honorees hugged old friends and teachers and young people who wanted autographs.
Geraldine Talley Hobby, who entered Northside Junior High School in 1959, now works with programs in New York and Maryland to help families with home ownership, and to help children through mentoring. She began the nonprofits based on the activism she learned from her parents, who pushed her to be on the front lines 50 years ago.
"It's rewarding when you look back and reflect on the path that we led," Hobby said. "I want the youth to recognize that education is important. So many don't realize its importance."
Denise Watson Batts, (757) 446-2504, denise.batts@pilotonline.com
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Marym...
Thanks for your comments, and yes I have landed in the correct thread! I was puzzled, then searched my entry for the word "blame"; couldnt locate it, then searched again. I am pleased that at least you have acknowledged that our educational system was better pre-1959. Of course, that is evident, and so not a point of contention. Why would you think that black kids drag down the GPA's of other groups? Nice diversion, but it wont work this time..we need to focus on the fact that the US has made a shambles of our educational system, and the standard race-baiting or guilt-tripping wont solve it. It is unbelievable to me, that in 2008 we still have a system in which the children need to be shoveled around like pawns on a city wide puzzle board, in order to improve their test scores. Strong family values, neighborhood schools, and more support for teachers would be a start.
Alex!
I think you found yourself in the middle of the wrong thread, my friend! No one introduced the word "blame" into this celebration of Norfolk history until you did. So . . . fair is fair. Are you actually suggesting that the fact that white, Hispanic, and Oriental kids are not achieving as well now as they did in 1959 is due to black kids? Everyone being educated in the same schools? Have you noticed how indulgent parents everywhere have gotten since 1959--how we don't enforce a teacher's standards anymore, but encourage our kids to whine (then we take their side against the teacher)? Have you noticed how many parents want to be their kid's "pal" instead of enforce standards in the home? Do you still think our lowered academic standards are the fault of black kids? Cheers, MGM
Celebration Ad Nauseum...
has anyone paused to reflect, in the midst of this ecstatic and rich celebration of those long-past events, that our educational achievements, both collectively as a nation, and individually, have actually fallen apart since those heady days of 1959? While this is an always conveniant (and dare I say fun?) way to add the mandatory heaping spoonful of guilt onto the majority population, it does nothing to solve the shambles that our education system finds itself in. If we were to make basic comparisons between the real-world achievement levels of today, and those of the United States school systems circa 1959, the winner is obvious. Not to mention the imbecilic PC notion that some students can only improve their grade point averages, if they are sitting next to higher-achieving students of another ethnic group. The question is one of poverty and family support,not race. Quit making ex
History!
All of us need to know our history. This should let the youth of today know that education is not to be taken lightly it should be cherished. I am very grateful for the people in this article that paved the way for all Americans to get a education. I want to say thank you.
NHS 63
Thank You.
It surely wasn't easy, particularly inspring of '59, but we (Norfolk) integrated better than Boston did 10 years later.
Good job!
This is an excellent story and one that makes me proud to be a transplant to the Tidewater area. Thanks for filling in the blanks for this Yankee, who has several older friends who graduated at age 19 because they were in high school during the Massive Resistance year! Cheers, MGM