I think it is important to note that these young men, especially the first two, INTENTIONALLY excelled both academically and behaviorally. They consciously set a higher standard for themselves. They didn't go with the flow and goof off. I believe this has a lot to do with their success.
3
More like "Guess who is coming to dinner" in which the black man had to be a renowned doctor working for the U.N. to deserve an ordinary white woman.
A cynic might wonder if their white teachers had to resist the temptation to take down Marvin's and Bill's grades down a notch. Can't blame them after watching the ferocious dogs, the fire hoses, a governor standing personally turning back black students.
A cynic might wonder if their white teachers had to resist the temptation to take down Marvin's and Bill's grades down a notch. Can't blame them after watching the ferocious dogs, the fire hoses, a governor standing personally turning back black students.
2
This article should be required reading for every administrator, faculty and student at all of the elite private schools in the country.
13
Thank you for a beautifully written article. Thank you to the brave, courageous men who endured and surpassed what is common to man.
7
In 1967 Nashville, Tennessee my parents made the difficult choice to take me out of the all black public school I had attended since 1st grade. In the middle of my 6th-grade year, forced bus desegregation came to the school system. One typical school morning became atypical when the Tennessee National Guard surrounded the building. Bomb threats had been called into the school in an attempt to stop the integration of the school district. I finished out the year at my school, but the following year my parents applied me to and I was accepted to Peabody Demonstration School (now University School of Nashville). It was a surreal experience for a tall, gangly girl to suddenly leave a place that had nurtured, supported, and encouraged me to go to a place where there were a handful of faces that looked like mine. My parents felt it necessary not only because of their need to keep me safe but also out of their concerns about me receiving a good education.
I learned a lot about myself in those years (Peabody was followed up by Father Ryan High School, from which I graduated). The realization that one could compete academically proved invaluable. The title of your article says it all. It's how many children placed in these situations survived.
I learned a lot about myself in those years (Peabody was followed up by Father Ryan High School, from which I graduated). The realization that one could compete academically proved invaluable. The title of your article says it all. It's how many children placed in these situations survived.
12
I was a four-year boarding student at V.E.S. and graduated in 1973. I was fortunate enough to know all of the young men referenced in this piece, two of whom were my first African American friends. The color of their skin was immaterial to me. They were just nice guys. I saw one overt incident of racism during my four years so I never gave that issue a whole lot of thought. It wasn't until I read this piece (very well done by the way) that I realized that they had a much tougher time of it than I was aware. Race aside, my friend Terry taught me a lot about what it means just to be a good and decent human being. My friendship with him was one of the true positives of my 4 years at V.E.S. and something that I will never forget.
12
I was seven years old in 1963 when my father, an Army aviator, was stationed to a post in southern Alabama. I saw the signs for separate water fountains. I saw the signs in the restaurants where the "coloreds" could use their money to purchase food in the back of the establishment but could not sit down inside. I remember the sit-ins at the cinema because black people were not allowed to sit with the white people.
My parents impressed upon me how unjust, immoral and nonsensical this was. I thank them for that to this day. I hate to admit that some vestige of that mindset exists to this day. I wish I were wrong. I don't believe I am.
My parents impressed upon me how unjust, immoral and nonsensical this was. I thank them for that to this day. I hate to admit that some vestige of that mindset exists to this day. I wish I were wrong. I don't believe I am.
10
I attended St. Andrews School in St. Andrews Tennessee in the mid sixties. In August 1965 we started the school year with our two new Black classmates William McCallum and Dunston Tegli. None of the students appeared to even blink an eye and they were accepted like any other new student. Years later we were told the story of the incredible effort the school administration put out leading up to the actual admittance of these young gentlemen. The process began some years earlier as the school contacted all the schools that we participated in sports with and the restaurants we ate in on the way to and from events. I can only recall one incident during an away football game and the offending student was ejected from the game immediately and removed from the field. Both of these young men went on to college and successful careers after leading the way for many more to follow.
8
I attended St. Andrew's in the early 70s. My 4 years on the Holy Mountain was transformative on many levels, with the relationships formed with Stouffer students enlightening beyond measure. As someone who grew up in the segregated suburbs of Savannah, GA, my contact with African Americans was limited. There wasn't an opportunity to have African American friends, with stero-typical concepts the construct of race relations. St. Andrew's and the progressive attitude of the Episcopal boarding school and at the nearby University of the South, also Episcopal, are lessons I maintain today. We studied together, played sports together, worshiped together and sang in the choir together. During my junior and senior years, I had an African-American roommate, David Lenoir. We remain friends, referring to each other as "roomie." St. A is the first integrated boarding school in the Deep South, with the head master, the Rev. Franklin Martin, the agent of change. His leadership was challenged by neighboring boarding schools, eventually leading to St. A leaving the Mid South athletic association. My devotion to St. A, now St. Andrew's-Sewanee School, never wavers. No school is perfect, though through Fr. Martin's courage, we've maintained a life-long vigil portrayed in the folk song, "Thanks be to God, for giving us life, just like a city on a mountain, we will light the world." And thanks be to Go for that!
1
I cried when I read this column. Even with it's sensitivity and attempts at understanding, I don't think any white person anywhere can truly understand the cost of a black child growing up in this country. Not in the 60s, and not now...when a simple misunderstanding can cost not only emotional damage, but the life of a person as well. I am 70, and I think we reached the top (and a not very high one at that) of the Bell curve in racial understanding and with the turbulence we face today, seem to be on a rapid decline. I don't know what the answers are, but I do know that without a social understanding that defies income and educational inequality, we will forever lose the understanding that should be common to all people, regardless of color or religion. All humans' physiology works the same, our blood is all red. We are the ones who try to find the superiority of who we are over others. It is a shame. We, undoubtedly, shall never be able to claim that peace and happiness are the outstanding traits in our lives.
13
Thank you, Mr. Secret, for reminding me of this chapter in "the journey"... I am proud to be your brother, as we continue going forward.
Born and raised in Lynchburg and leaving after graduation from segregated public high school, I watched from distant venues this 'small,' but, at the same time, huge transformative act begin at VES from the time "Marvin and Bill" arrived until now. I never once believed I ever would return to live in the psychologically damaging scene of my childhood, but the change these two young men effected simply by being present in school awakened more than just an iconic high school's campus, rather it proved the "old guard" wrong, and in doing so produced mind-changing positive ramifications that are in evidence here today among a faction of the town's population. There's still lots of life work to do, but the very idea of change you have presented here reminds us further that all perceived closed doors are not locked.
Onward!
Born and raised in Lynchburg and leaving after graduation from segregated public high school, I watched from distant venues this 'small,' but, at the same time, huge transformative act begin at VES from the time "Marvin and Bill" arrived until now. I never once believed I ever would return to live in the psychologically damaging scene of my childhood, but the change these two young men effected simply by being present in school awakened more than just an iconic high school's campus, rather it proved the "old guard" wrong, and in doing so produced mind-changing positive ramifications that are in evidence here today among a faction of the town's population. There's still lots of life work to do, but the very idea of change you have presented here reminds us further that all perceived closed doors are not locked.
Onward!
7
The "Robert" and "Paul" referred to in this quote from the article were my uncle and great grandfather -
"The only other black faces belonged to the hired help, like the beloved custodian, Robert Thomas, son of a man named Paul, who had worked at the school in the old days as one of the white-coated waiters who served white boys in the dining room."
Both men were also beloved by their family. My great grandfather or "Daddy" or "Mr. Thomas," as he was always called, was a revered figure in the community, who raised seven children as a single father after his wife died at a young age. He use to bring home books and magazines from the school that inspired his children and grandchildren to pursue their dreams. Uncle Robert was a World War II Veteran, who fought in the Pacific Theater and later a long time deacon in his church. In every conversation Uncle Robert and I had he was positive, supportive and upbeat, even up until our last conversation the week befoe he died. These were truly great men, who I am glad were included in this important article about the great men who integrated the school.
"The only other black faces belonged to the hired help, like the beloved custodian, Robert Thomas, son of a man named Paul, who had worked at the school in the old days as one of the white-coated waiters who served white boys in the dining room."
Both men were also beloved by their family. My great grandfather or "Daddy" or "Mr. Thomas," as he was always called, was a revered figure in the community, who raised seven children as a single father after his wife died at a young age. He use to bring home books and magazines from the school that inspired his children and grandchildren to pursue their dreams. Uncle Robert was a World War II Veteran, who fought in the Pacific Theater and later a long time deacon in his church. In every conversation Uncle Robert and I had he was positive, supportive and upbeat, even up until our last conversation the week befoe he died. These were truly great men, who I am glad were included in this important article about the great men who integrated the school.
39
Can you imagine, in 1967. A half a century ago. A group of young Black teenage boys would have the courage and fortitude to endure the struggles, live the experiences and achieve the goals that they did against ongoing subtle and overt adversity from various quarters? Once again, teeangers! THEY WERE SO BRAVE! They are true inspiration and asset tot he human race! A very powerful and inspirational article!
13
The memory of Johnny's great-grandmother's years as a slave, his grandmother's sacrifice in sending her hard earned money, and his mother who drove 200 miles to comfort him provided the stamina and grace he so needed.
Courageous women who raised a courageous young man.
Courageous women who raised a courageous young man.
25
I read this piece with interest as my background was similar and also vastly different. I was a black boy born in 1964 so am a decade younger than the men in the piece and I was raised in the SF Bay Area--the bastion of 60's liberalism.
In 1969 I began kindergarten in a small, religious school in Piedmont, CA--a wealthy enclave on the border of Oakland where I lived. From K-8, I attended the school which had a racially diverse makeup, graduating with a class of 10 students which was 50% black & 50% white.
My high school was an elite prep school in Oakland where many kids were children of UC Berkeley faculty. My class was small (47) with 10% black students as well as other minority students.
Owing to our collective liberal upbringing, there was literally no racial animosity among students and interracial dating was commonplace. It was not lost on me (then or now) that this situation wasn't the norm for black students at elite private schools. Additionally, it's not lost on me that my middle class parents could afford the tuition of those schools at the time. My young cousin attends the same high school where tuition is 10x what my parents paid. The education I received afforded me choices which took me around the world.
In an ironic twist, I didn't attend a standard college but instead gained admission to a prestigious drama school in London where my classmate was Jennifer Ehle--daughter of John Ehle and Rosemary Harris, both of whom are featured in this article.
In 1969 I began kindergarten in a small, religious school in Piedmont, CA--a wealthy enclave on the border of Oakland where I lived. From K-8, I attended the school which had a racially diverse makeup, graduating with a class of 10 students which was 50% black & 50% white.
My high school was an elite prep school in Oakland where many kids were children of UC Berkeley faculty. My class was small (47) with 10% black students as well as other minority students.
Owing to our collective liberal upbringing, there was literally no racial animosity among students and interracial dating was commonplace. It was not lost on me (then or now) that this situation wasn't the norm for black students at elite private schools. Additionally, it's not lost on me that my middle class parents could afford the tuition of those schools at the time. My young cousin attends the same high school where tuition is 10x what my parents paid. The education I received afforded me choices which took me around the world.
In an ironic twist, I didn't attend a standard college but instead gained admission to a prestigious drama school in London where my classmate was Jennifer Ehle--daughter of John Ehle and Rosemary Harris, both of whom are featured in this article.
16
Thank you, Mosier Secret, for the extraordinary read. But my greatest and most profound thanks go to these brave gentlemen who paved the way for those of us who came later, and now our children in the years to come. In a curious flip, I attended an elite New England boarding school nearly twenty years after these men, not as a crusader bravely forging through uncharted waters, but for the opportunity presented to me as an inner city black kid, as it was presented to others before me. Not all of us had a positive experience, but I found a place where my successes depended upon my efforts and ability...period. It's only in hindsight that I truly appreciate how extraordinary a gift it was to be presented with an institution that was colorblind, and with a single directive: "Perform or Leave." In reading this article, together with my own experiences, what really troubles me is this question:
So much ground was gained between 1967 and 1987...but why does I feel that in the ensuing decades, this progress stopped, and is going backwards?
So much ground was gained between 1967 and 1987...but why does I feel that in the ensuing decades, this progress stopped, and is going backwards?
38
Thank you for this important historical composition. The men attending V.E.S. interviewed for this article exude grace and intellect:successes all.
17
What a wonderful story! And then I read today's headlines :-{
12
thank you for this story-- profiles in courage, all of them.
17
The fact that these gentleman were 14 years old and able to gather themselves, is in itself, remarkable. I remember the 14 year old version of myself, and I was a complete clown. These gentleman would have been successful anyway. They stood out from thousands and were selected for this program. I am just happy that their paths led them in a direction where they can have some influence on the rest of the world. THANK YOU.
26
Should we rejoice in elite private schools for the few while the worst public schools are in the darkest neighborhoods (racially and economically) and when the capitalistic and private Charter School movement under Sec of Education makes false dreams for many parents and huge profits from taxpayers? Yes, celebrate the small victories but beware of the huge defeat in public education!
21
My son, half Asian, started VES in the 7th grade as a day student, as we're all the boys before 9th grade. He boarded starting in the 8th grade because we live on a farm about 40 miles away . I don't know of any racial animus towards him, and we never even thought about that, a mere 10 years after the Magnificent Seven. From a father's point of view, those boys made a good education possible for my son.
24
My grandmother, Annie Ball, taught us that excellence is the best weapon we have against racism. I believe this is true, but we should not have to burn ourselves out just to prove that we are good enough to walk among other men and women.
Obama and Hillary were exemplary candidates, while Trump demonstrated little if any qualifications, yet he was given the same consideration. For me, equality must include the right to be mediocre.
Obama and Hillary were exemplary candidates, while Trump demonstrated little if any qualifications, yet he was given the same consideration. For me, equality must include the right to be mediocre.
26
When we talk about Brown versus the board of education leading to integrated schools we don't think of the courage and sacrifice children had to make in order to make the dream of integration a reality. I'd like to thank the magnificent seven for their sacrifice. They grew up faster than other boys their age and proved that black people are just as capable if not more than their white peers.
16
This is a beautifully reported and written story. I'm so grateful that the young men chronicled here became happy, successful, accomplished adults. That was the hope of their program and their parents. But it could have gone another way--they could have been broken by the racism they encountered.
They weren't because they were aware of the ultimate mission they had, the responsibility to represent the race and to keep ajar the door that they'd cracked open so others might follow. That changed not only them, but many around them.
I had a similar experience in a New England day school, as did a fair number of my friends. We were aware that we were part of an experiment, that all eyes were on us, and that if we didn't do well, opportunities would be closed to the Negro students (we wouldn't begin to describe ourselves as black for a couple of years) who came behind us.
Unlike the Magnificent Seven, I was only immersed in my school community (some of it truly welcoming, much of it blithely condescending, some of it slyly hostile) for several hours a day. I returned to my segregated neighborhood, a black social life, with black role models and family and friends who consistently expected the best of me. They had only each other until they returned home in vacations. I cannot imagine how that must have felt. It makes these gentlemen all the more outstanding.
The pity is, white resistance continues, and we still keep having to prove ourselves generation after generation.
They weren't because they were aware of the ultimate mission they had, the responsibility to represent the race and to keep ajar the door that they'd cracked open so others might follow. That changed not only them, but many around them.
I had a similar experience in a New England day school, as did a fair number of my friends. We were aware that we were part of an experiment, that all eyes were on us, and that if we didn't do well, opportunities would be closed to the Negro students (we wouldn't begin to describe ourselves as black for a couple of years) who came behind us.
Unlike the Magnificent Seven, I was only immersed in my school community (some of it truly welcoming, much of it blithely condescending, some of it slyly hostile) for several hours a day. I returned to my segregated neighborhood, a black social life, with black role models and family and friends who consistently expected the best of me. They had only each other until they returned home in vacations. I cannot imagine how that must have felt. It makes these gentlemen all the more outstanding.
The pity is, white resistance continues, and we still keep having to prove ourselves generation after generation.
31
Why do you name the victims of the midnight beatings, and not the aggressors? If they didn't return your phone calls, that's on them. The boys (men, grandfathers now) knew perfectly well who was at fault.
Name and shame them.
Name and shame them.
25
This article took my breath away, starting with the first paragraph where Marvin Bernard, at age 14, had traveled 120 miles by bus then taken a taxi to VES with no one accompanying him. That told us something right away about what kind of person he was. Brave, brave, brave.
38
This is also the story of all Black Americans in this country hoping to succeed, while facing the odds of an academic environment that has no intention of helping them prosper.
While this is true enough up in the North, which tends to hide its own particular brand of bigotry under the guise of 'benign neglect' -- in the South, it's just out in the open.
Blatant. Unmistakable.
Anyone familiar with American History knows that since Planation days, Blacks were forbidden to learn how to read and write; the intent to keep them ignorant and illiterate was just part of the scheme of institutionalized slavery that not only exists to this day; but which is why the concept of 'Seperate but Equal' had to be challenged legally in BROWN vs. BOARD of EDUCATION.
Most African-Americans already know this story by heart, in all of its pain and its glory.
This is the price of the ticket to borne by every Black man, woman and child in this country.
A debt of gratitude must go to the authour of this article, Mosi Secret, for enlightening the rest of the world about just what it takes to survive.
"And still we rise...."
While this is true enough up in the North, which tends to hide its own particular brand of bigotry under the guise of 'benign neglect' -- in the South, it's just out in the open.
Blatant. Unmistakable.
Anyone familiar with American History knows that since Planation days, Blacks were forbidden to learn how to read and write; the intent to keep them ignorant and illiterate was just part of the scheme of institutionalized slavery that not only exists to this day; but which is why the concept of 'Seperate but Equal' had to be challenged legally in BROWN vs. BOARD of EDUCATION.
Most African-Americans already know this story by heart, in all of its pain and its glory.
This is the price of the ticket to borne by every Black man, woman and child in this country.
A debt of gratitude must go to the authour of this article, Mosi Secret, for enlightening the rest of the world about just what it takes to survive.
"And still we rise...."
18
Can we learn the word some? Some slave owners not only freed their slave but gave them plots of land so that they would be able to pursue life, liberty, happiness. Some slaves were taught to read or simply learned. (Not everyone can read or wants to read even today. I notice when people ask where is or what is such and such in the grocery store.) Brave 14 year olds. Incredibly privileged ... think of the Jewish children rescued by leaving home pre-WWII.
Sometimes I wonder if any of the whites commenting here know any black people at all? Not all people with dark skin and African heritage boohoooo. Some get on with life... The best known person to hail from Portsmouth, OH e.g. is Kathleen Battle.
I have a letter from a black friend who writes about using the race card to obtain private school education for her children. From OH she had encountered segregation in the south. BUT we tolerate gender discrimination all of the time. EG women in Saudi Arabia where the Bushes have befriended the MEN are not allowed to drive. STILL. I flinch when I see covered Islamic women accompanying their more sensibly clad husbands on hot days. ENOUGH. MEN stll seem to enjoy war. There will be 2 billion people more on the planet in2050. (Who do you think is causing global warming?? ) All the really impt issues are constantly swept under the rug ...while the truly marginal occupies the pages of gray lady... so pathetic.
Sometimes I wonder if any of the whites commenting here know any black people at all? Not all people with dark skin and African heritage boohoooo. Some get on with life... The best known person to hail from Portsmouth, OH e.g. is Kathleen Battle.
I have a letter from a black friend who writes about using the race card to obtain private school education for her children. From OH she had encountered segregation in the south. BUT we tolerate gender discrimination all of the time. EG women in Saudi Arabia where the Bushes have befriended the MEN are not allowed to drive. STILL. I flinch when I see covered Islamic women accompanying their more sensibly clad husbands on hot days. ENOUGH. MEN stll seem to enjoy war. There will be 2 billion people more on the planet in2050. (Who do you think is causing global warming?? ) All the really impt issues are constantly swept under the rug ...while the truly marginal occupies the pages of gray lady... so pathetic.
Thank you for this article.
5
My son, mixed Asian and white, attended an elite day school in Atlanta. Even today the percentage of black kids there is small--many more Asians and Indians students than blacks, which doesn't reflect the demographics of the city at all. However, it seemed to me the small population of black students was well integrated and accepted by others. At least as well as in public school. If racial integration is going to happen in zones of real power in America it is going to be through these black kids who've attended top schools. The ways of the elite white world become familiar to them and they can navigate it like natives, hopefully moving up the ladder to open the door of opportunity to other blacks.
7
I grew up in a black neighborhood and still wince when I remember the constant taunting and intimidation I suffered for being the "other". Many whites in the sixties and seventies in what you liberals euphemistically call "the inner city" suffered the same fate. These noble black men are heroes to have withstood undoubtedly tougher times than I did - but always remember, it is a sad human condition that racism is indeed the norm.
7
The history of African American experience in this country has always been one of striving against the odds in a country that has long devalued Black people regardless of socio-economic status, education, or merit.
Deep within the African American tradition is the phrase, “you have to be twice as good” as a white person just to have a chance in a society that is undergirded by precepts of white superiority and black inferiority.
Within this tradition, you not only represent yourself, but the entire race—a stress no other race of people has had to endure.
“The educational system of this country is, in short, designed to destroy the black child. It does not matter whether it destroys him by stoning him in the ghetto or by driving him mad in the isolation of Harvard.…Any Negro who is born is this country and undergoes the American educational system runs the risk of becoming schizophrenic. On the one hand he is born in the shadow of the stars and stripes and he is assured it represents a nation which has never lost a war. He pledges allegiance to that flag which guarantees, ‘liberty and justice for all.’ But on the other hand he is also assured by his country and his countrymen that he has never contributed anything to civilization—that his past is nothing more than a record of humiliations gladly endured. He is assumed by the republic that …the value he has as a black man is proven by one thing only—his devotion to white people.” James Baldwin
Deep within the African American tradition is the phrase, “you have to be twice as good” as a white person just to have a chance in a society that is undergirded by precepts of white superiority and black inferiority.
Within this tradition, you not only represent yourself, but the entire race—a stress no other race of people has had to endure.
“The educational system of this country is, in short, designed to destroy the black child. It does not matter whether it destroys him by stoning him in the ghetto or by driving him mad in the isolation of Harvard.…Any Negro who is born is this country and undergoes the American educational system runs the risk of becoming schizophrenic. On the one hand he is born in the shadow of the stars and stripes and he is assured it represents a nation which has never lost a war. He pledges allegiance to that flag which guarantees, ‘liberty and justice for all.’ But on the other hand he is also assured by his country and his countrymen that he has never contributed anything to civilization—that his past is nothing more than a record of humiliations gladly endured. He is assumed by the republic that …the value he has as a black man is proven by one thing only—his devotion to white people.” James Baldwin
19
Did any blacks resent them for going to the white school?
1
That battle ground is still alive with live fire; people have morphed and so have means. It will continue; but a homage to these great pioneers is due. Thanks for a great article.
3
I found this article and the project of integrating southern prep schools fascinating and moving. So much has been done in instances like this where people buck the status quo and inject reality and a very different paradigm into an antequated and difficult system. Sometimes it is possible, and very possible, to change things from the top down instead of from the bottom up. I applaud each of these men who would have achieved marvelously in any high school and am grateful that these men shone like diamonds among the pearls with the bright noonday sun shining.
On a side note, John and Rosemary Ehle were the biggest surprise to me. As soon as I read Ehle's name, I wondered if and how they were related to Jennifer Ehle of "Pride & Prejudice" fame. A quick search on IMDB.com proved that they were Jennifer's parents. Rosemary was an actress as well as John's wife. I am surprised and pleased at the serendipity of the connection and wonder how the Ehle's felt about this aberration through the charity of the Stouffer foundation. Did the Ehle's, by virtue of Rosemary's British beginnings and her well traveled and more cosmopolitan air, have any comments for this article or was she just another actor on the scene standing in the background without a gnat's whisker's chance of stepping out of the fringes of the limelight to pass through the center stage only after the end of the play? Jennifer Ehle integrated British society when Fitzwilliam Darcy, portrayed by Colin Firth, chose her.
On a side note, John and Rosemary Ehle were the biggest surprise to me. As soon as I read Ehle's name, I wondered if and how they were related to Jennifer Ehle of "Pride & Prejudice" fame. A quick search on IMDB.com proved that they were Jennifer's parents. Rosemary was an actress as well as John's wife. I am surprised and pleased at the serendipity of the connection and wonder how the Ehle's felt about this aberration through the charity of the Stouffer foundation. Did the Ehle's, by virtue of Rosemary's British beginnings and her well traveled and more cosmopolitan air, have any comments for this article or was she just another actor on the scene standing in the background without a gnat's whisker's chance of stepping out of the fringes of the limelight to pass through the center stage only after the end of the play? Jennifer Ehle integrated British society when Fitzwilliam Darcy, portrayed by Colin Firth, chose her.
9
What an insightful, feeling, and heart breaking story. I am moved to tears and my heart soars with with respect for these men. Thank-you for sharing.
11
What a magnificent article. Thank you so much for sharing the story of these brave men.
5
Extraordinary story. My generation, and yet so far, far, away from my safe, white middle class California existence. I cannot even fathom the courage, and, even more so, the self control at an age when there is little if any. Beautifully written.
8
A more through profile of Johnny's experiences includes a career as a respiratory therapist and hospital administrator at Duke. Seems a little odd to leave these accomplishments out of a story about these incredibly strong men.
17
I would have liked to learn more about Johnny. Because he didn't attend reunions or keep up with the other members of the Magnificent Seven, he is in many ways the most interesting one. Clearly, he must have had some sort of critique of the experience--even if he was reluctant to voice it. If I were a novelist, he is the character I'd focus on because Johnny is probably the one we have most to learn from.
14
An excellent story, thank you for introducing us to these American heroes.
3
The resilience and determination that these young men showed - and the support of their families, shows that they were already young people of the finest character before they stepped foot among the insular privileged world of VES.
No one should have to show that they deserve to exist or to have an education, but if you were provided with a scholarship, and you are not part of the entrenched community - wealthy, white male, and privileged - you are going to want to show that you have what it takes and more. If facing people who hold beliefs that you are intellectually inferior, of course you are going to want to blow them out of the water. Those days weren't about equality, they were about showing the white preppies their ( the black students') own vision of excellence. These pioneers did have to be better, to open the doors and dispel myths. This is about the black struggle; others from poor and powerless backgrounds where, even if white, a student from a different class might try to fit by adopting the behaviors of the dominant culture, maybe concealing their own backgrounds. Black students in this situation couldn't blend so easily, but maybe holding onto their own identities made them stronger in the end.
A tough endurance test. But the costs - - seemed to have been repaid by their own successes and those of their own children.
No one should have to show that they deserve to exist or to have an education, but if you were provided with a scholarship, and you are not part of the entrenched community - wealthy, white male, and privileged - you are going to want to show that you have what it takes and more. If facing people who hold beliefs that you are intellectually inferior, of course you are going to want to blow them out of the water. Those days weren't about equality, they were about showing the white preppies their ( the black students') own vision of excellence. These pioneers did have to be better, to open the doors and dispel myths. This is about the black struggle; others from poor and powerless backgrounds where, even if white, a student from a different class might try to fit by adopting the behaviors of the dominant culture, maybe concealing their own backgrounds. Black students in this situation couldn't blend so easily, but maybe holding onto their own identities made them stronger in the end.
A tough endurance test. But the costs - - seemed to have been repaid by their own successes and those of their own children.
7
These young men exemplified strength and grace. Their experience is both moving and deeply heartbreaking. Children should not have to teach their elders or white peers about respect for others, tolerance, and simple decency toward their fellow man. Many, many thanks to Mosi Secret for making sure that this story was told.
49
The bravery displayed by these young men is just mind boggling.
41
Julian Bond taught them social graces...
Julian was a kid at the first black degree granting university, Lincoln U . in Oxford, PA , where his father Horace Mann Bond was president! Julian did not attend the local public integrated school. He attended a private school, The George School!
Julian was a kid at the first black degree granting university, Lincoln U . in Oxford, PA , where his father Horace Mann Bond was president! Julian did not attend the local public integrated school. He attended a private school, The George School!
7
Your point is? Julian Bond was a very young Civil Rights leader
and took many beatings - he was a hero in the true sense of
the word. Whether he went to a private school or not is not of
any consequence to this article - but perhaps I misunderstand
your statement and your point was that Bond knew from his own
experience what 'social graces' were necessary for those brave
young men to blend rather than be embarrassed by what they may
not have known. Insightful article overall, thank you.
and took many beatings - he was a hero in the true sense of
the word. Whether he went to a private school or not is not of
any consequence to this article - but perhaps I misunderstand
your statement and your point was that Bond knew from his own
experience what 'social graces' were necessary for those brave
young men to blend rather than be embarrassed by what they may
not have known. Insightful article overall, thank you.
3
I would love to see this story made into a film.
46
Kids teaching white adults what it's like to be fearless.
Thank you, guys. Many thanks.
Thank you, guys. Many thanks.
80
Why do I feel as if this story is a tiny little candle flickering in a Hurricane 5 storm?
27
Thank you for sharing these inspiring stories. High-achieving black people are still facing the same challenges all over the South. The battle isn't won, yet.
19
A big thumbs up for recognizing and acknowledging the strength of education to affect change. My generation was K-12 1960-73 in the NYC (Bed Stuy and Crown Heights Brooklyn) school system. I was born just a year after Thurgood Marshall won his case before the Supreme Court to end segregated 'separate but equal' schools. In our Bed-Stuy classrooms we learned about Black Scholars, professionals, Inventors, and lawyers. The theme was 'don't forget what THEY sacrificed in order for YOU to have this opportunity to achieve more than they did. We were told to 'Aim High'. My mother was 45 when the Civil Rights laws were changed in 1968. That generation knew that the changes they made would only benefit their children. Both neighborhoods were losing their ethnic diversity by the early 1970's From 1960-73 I had ONE MALE non-white teacher: Social Studies teacher Mr. Roberts at Lefferts JHS on Empire BLVD. Somewhere during the last 20 years we lost that education focus. Some put blame on the deluge of teen mothers who didn't instill the value of education because it was never a priority for them. A High School GED at age 25-30 is just playing catch up. We let social media set the bar for children so low that a park in Brooklyn was recently named after a drug dealer turned Rapper because so many don't see much more as achievable. Today we blame racism.
14
What an inspiring story! The strength of these students was incredible. Very few, no matter how intelligent, can survive that kind of trial.
When my daughter was bullied just last week by her teacher on the first and second days of school, I immediately pulled her out of her English GT class. After years of reading about it, I finally understand how a hostile environment denies opportunity. My daughter is not as strong as the boys featured in this article. She is Asian, in Christian conservative white Texas.
When I went to Stuyvesant 30 years ago, I didn't think about it too much when the brown faces of the boys who rode the subway from my station in Brooklyn stopped appearing. They had left Stuyvesant for a more welcoming school. At the time I though it was a shame they didn't rise to the challenge, but that kind of strength is a lot to ask of kids.
I don't expect it of my own child. We have a cushion of privilege that doesn't make it necessary for her to suffer daily at the whims of racist teacher. And I'm very, very thankful for that.
When my daughter was bullied just last week by her teacher on the first and second days of school, I immediately pulled her out of her English GT class. After years of reading about it, I finally understand how a hostile environment denies opportunity. My daughter is not as strong as the boys featured in this article. She is Asian, in Christian conservative white Texas.
When I went to Stuyvesant 30 years ago, I didn't think about it too much when the brown faces of the boys who rode the subway from my station in Brooklyn stopped appearing. They had left Stuyvesant for a more welcoming school. At the time I though it was a shame they didn't rise to the challenge, but that kind of strength is a lot to ask of kids.
I don't expect it of my own child. We have a cushion of privilege that doesn't make it necessary for her to suffer daily at the whims of racist teacher. And I'm very, very thankful for that.
24
And I am both sad that you have to do it,but also thankful that your daughter has an advocate.
1
Perhaps you were right to pull her out; it is an individual choice. I would have marched down to that school and left no skin on that teacher.
I put up with a lot of that going through school, but my way was stubbornness!! Darned if anyone was going to tell me what to do, or ruin my chance to achieve!!! So I ended up an MD, in the days before Civil Rights Titles that applied, one of 2% to achieve it. Now I have the last laugh--about 50% of med students are girls.
I put up with a lot of that going through school, but my way was stubbornness!! Darned if anyone was going to tell me what to do, or ruin my chance to achieve!!! So I ended up an MD, in the days before Civil Rights Titles that applied, one of 2% to achieve it. Now I have the last laugh--about 50% of med students are girls.
5
How was your daughter bullied? Wouldn't it have been better to bring this to the attention of the administration so that this teacher doesn't do this to anyone else? We had to deal with constant anti-semitism since we left the military. Most of it comes from other minorities! My kids would not let me get involved, but one time I did when the harassment took on a violent turn. Two or three times I've had to report teachers, the admin didn't like it, but they would not condone racist comments against Hispanics or African-Americans, so they should not allow it against my kids, or really anyone else.
Great history (and more evidence that any all-male or predominantly-male assembly, school, cult, government, corporation, club, institute should be banned. End the testosterone regime!)
19
See my reply to DRMLLM above. I agree.
1
What a great story! I feel especially lucky in that I and my children have always attended schools with all types of people. I am an Army brat and have gone to base schools or schools nearby for my whole life. My kids too. I remember being pushed hard when I was a kid, we had to be better in school and the best behaved out of school, because our fathers were NCOs. That gets quite annoying, but it's nothing compared to what these young men had to go through. My kids were in the minority in their schools here, but no one ever once said 'you don't belong here'. I wish this for all the kids in this country and in fact, the world.
16
This article is beautifully written and on the surface a real crowd pleaser. A great movie in the making.
I am sure the movie's focus would be on the northern headmaster and his bravery in looking out for these exceptional kids, starring Ryan Gosling ok.
But we should all find it insidious that those who have been oppressed had to go above and beyond to prove their humanity to those who served as oppressors. That is not noble, in many ways it is cruel.
I was deeply relieved to see that these young men have done so well in life.
However as long as the marginalized have to demonstrate they are twice as good to the "majority" then we will continue to have variations of this story.
I am sure the movie's focus would be on the northern headmaster and his bravery in looking out for these exceptional kids, starring Ryan Gosling ok.
But we should all find it insidious that those who have been oppressed had to go above and beyond to prove their humanity to those who served as oppressors. That is not noble, in many ways it is cruel.
I was deeply relieved to see that these young men have done so well in life.
However as long as the marginalized have to demonstrate they are twice as good to the "majority" then we will continue to have variations of this story.
63
It's actually very normal for the disadvantaged to work super hard to prove themselves. That is why so many immigrants do so well in America. It is also normal for the privileged to slack off. It happens in many societies. They don't pay much price for slacking because they have connections. But those who worked really hard often also do very well for themselves and their children then maybe start to take it a little easy. Part of this is human nature reacting to power or lack of it.
4
What an excellent article! I was a 1963 graduate of an elite private school in Norfolk, Virginia, a competitor of VES, and begin to understand the context. But one aspect of the times not mentioned was the effect of public school desegregation during the period. In Norfolk, when the public schools closed rather than desegregate, the competition for spots in the established private schools went up. And the caliber of students accepted rose significantly. I suspect VES had the same situation in the period. This is not to say that the white students were less racially polarized or were better people. It does make the academic and lifetime achievements of the Magnificent Seven all the more remarkable, and it also put these students in a network of more capable graduates than those schools had previously seen.
31
True American hero's...burdened with a task unknown before them....that not only did belong....they led the way.....Giants I say....men amongst boys
25
Their stories remind me of "Caleb's Crossing," Geraldine Brooks novel about the first Native American to graduate from Harvard.
12
Thank you for sharing such a bittersweet and beautifully written article. It is, at once, a classic story of the loss of innocence and an uncompromising account of our racial history.
As a white woman, I empathize with the burden of always representing "the other." It's an invisible weight that holds our world down. Yet, those young boys were expected to lift it on their own. It breaks my heart to see their faces, both hopeful and stoic. Still, I am grateful for what they accomplished, whether it was as a result of - or in spite of - this liberal experiment.
As a white woman, I empathize with the burden of always representing "the other." It's an invisible weight that holds our world down. Yet, those young boys were expected to lift it on their own. It breaks my heart to see their faces, both hopeful and stoic. Still, I am grateful for what they accomplished, whether it was as a result of - or in spite of - this liberal experiment.
36
They were kids - No! Why do we always give White people, especially White men a pass for their racially discriminatory behavior? When will White people own up to their part in the perpetuation of a racist society?
38
They were the Jackie Robinson's of the private prep schools. When does the book and movie come out?
Fantastic role models. I would have liked to go to school with them. Thanks for sharing.
Fantastic role models. I would have liked to go to school with them. Thanks for sharing.
17
Thank you NYT, specifically Mosi Secret, for this incredible piece.
I'm 25, and although the era covered is a much different time than when I was in college, it's still very much the same.
I went to a private, southern, affluent, 95% white university with its own share of racial tensions. I got called the N word by strangers and people I thought were friends, I got turned away from events, rejected by social groups, and generally disrespected just because of my race. But I was lucky in that the school faculty was fantastic and there were a number of great people I found that I still call a friend today.
Thank you to the Magnificent Seven for - whether or not they intended to be cast as martyrs of sorts - paving the way for not just blacks but all poc's to attend whatever school they wanted and doing whatever it is that they wanted to do in life.
The structure known as white supremacy will continue to kick and scream as we fight for equality in our respective ways, but we have to keep persevering and helping each other out. May our children and their children have better opportunities than we did.
I'm 25, and although the era covered is a much different time than when I was in college, it's still very much the same.
I went to a private, southern, affluent, 95% white university with its own share of racial tensions. I got called the N word by strangers and people I thought were friends, I got turned away from events, rejected by social groups, and generally disrespected just because of my race. But I was lucky in that the school faculty was fantastic and there were a number of great people I found that I still call a friend today.
Thank you to the Magnificent Seven for - whether or not they intended to be cast as martyrs of sorts - paving the way for not just blacks but all poc's to attend whatever school they wanted and doing whatever it is that they wanted to do in life.
The structure known as white supremacy will continue to kick and scream as we fight for equality in our respective ways, but we have to keep persevering and helping each other out. May our children and their children have better opportunities than we did.
112
I'm touched. This article shows how high the price was for those who were the pioneers in white prep schools. They left their homes and families to live in an environment that was not always accepting of racial differences. Being first is never a simple task. Being first, being far away from home, being a representative of your race is a huge undertaking. The schools were lucky to have them and they were indeed lucky to be able to withstand the pressures.
The one quality that comes to mind after reading this is grace. Grace to overlook the insults. Grace to be able to concentrate on getting an education. And grace to remain human despite the problems coming up in the 1960s. These men were leaders.
The one quality that comes to mind after reading this is grace. Grace to overlook the insults. Grace to be able to concentrate on getting an education. And grace to remain human despite the problems coming up in the 1960s. These men were leaders.
72
Though education is quite valuable to me, we should not have to achieve to be treated as human beings.
60
"Though education is quite valuable to me, we should not have to achieve to be treated as human beings."
How then will I know that I've evolved into one?
How then will I know that I've evolved into one?
4
Your remark is the most visceral, accurate, and poignant of the 50 plus comments I’ve read. The experience of the uber African American student is a poor measure of enlightenment and progress, but rather we should cast a torch on the treatment of the most marginalized. The more we change, the more things stay the same.
2
The illiterate and unaccomplished person is as worthy of my respect for their civil rights and humanity as is the gifted, talented and highly accomplished person. There are many things people have to prove themselves worthy of - simply being a citizen (entitled to basic civil rights) in these United States shouldn't be one of them.
6
Positive role models, it does not get any better than this!
23
A powerful story about the high price of our race-based history, a price paid first by blacks but also by us whites, who grow up immersed in unexamined white privilege and dominance.
45
c barker,
"...by us whites, who grow up immersed in unexamined white privilege and dominance."
You may want to speak for yourself.
I and people I know have examined thoroughly our privileges and found none that many people from other groups (Indians, Chinese, Blacks, Mexicans, Filipinos, Argentinians, etc) don't have.
As for dominance, yes, we're aware of the fact that Indo-European peoples have developed the Western civilization that is by far superior in its complexity and sophistication to anything known to man. We're also aware that all groups of people have greatly benefited from this civilization, as exemplified by this free exchange of ideas on an internet forum.
"...by us whites, who grow up immersed in unexamined white privilege and dominance."
You may want to speak for yourself.
I and people I know have examined thoroughly our privileges and found none that many people from other groups (Indians, Chinese, Blacks, Mexicans, Filipinos, Argentinians, etc) don't have.
As for dominance, yes, we're aware of the fact that Indo-European peoples have developed the Western civilization that is by far superior in its complexity and sophistication to anything known to man. We're also aware that all groups of people have greatly benefited from this civilization, as exemplified by this free exchange of ideas on an internet forum.
7
Al-- if you say c barker is not speaking for all white people, I'd certainly be interested in more details--as opposed to simple assertion--about how you and "people I know have examined thoroughly our privileges" and found they're no different than other groups.
I think such details would be especially fascinating since you go on to assert that only white people like you "developed the Western civilization that is far superior ... --a classic white-supremacist assertion.
I think such details would be especially fascinating since you go on to assert that only white people like you "developed the Western civilization that is far superior ... --a classic white-supremacist assertion.
20
I don't accept your premise that you and your peers have "thoroughly" examined white (or male) privilege. Your confirmation bias is all too evident in both tone and word choice.
14
Having lived in Atlanta, and heard stories about the integration of white private schools, this tremendous article adds depth to those narratives. Many private -- and suburban public -- schools remain bastions of segregation, as whites continue to seek means of maintaining 'separateness' -- and privilege, power, and position. There have been impressive gains in the younger generation's acceptance of 'diversity' and difference. Whether the Trump era has eroded that, postponed it, or destroyed it we won't know for some time.
Stories like this, however, need to keep coming to the fore: we need to see why history remains personal and current, and why the past cannot stay buried. Thank you for such a well-presented piece.
Stories like this, however, need to keep coming to the fore: we need to see why history remains personal and current, and why the past cannot stay buried. Thank you for such a well-presented piece.
57
My father joined the faculty at V.E.S. in 1972, shortly after Dr. Alexander and Dr. Barnard graduated, and retired in 2014, after serving as teacher, associate headmaster, and interim headmaster. My uncle, Rick Scruggs, is mentioned here, and was a classmate of Mr. Sherrill and Mr. Prioleau. I graduated in 1997. Without question, the determination of these men - whom I have had the great privilege to meet - made V.E.S a far stronger, more inclusive, and more vibrant community. They are legends on campus, and rightfully so. While these men had graduated by the time I was born, my mother, father, and uncle told me of their strength, poise, and intellectual prowess, and noted how they paved the way for the African-American students that lived alongside us in Randolph Dormitory. I thank the author and these men for sharing their story; I was familiar with the abuse suffered by Mr. Holloway and Judge Jones, but this article adds depth to the collective struggle of the Magnificent Seven, and highlights their resilience in overcoming the incredible regrettable difficulties of integrating V.E.S. I know that my own life is markedly better as a result of their efforts; I only hope that for these men, the benefits of attending V.E.S. have outweighed the costs. I am grateful to the author for introducing the Magnificent Seven to a national audience. They, and the late Mr. Montgomery, are the true embodiment of the V.E.S. motto: toward the full statute of manhood.
157
A sad story. When will this country work to develop the talent that we waste every generation with substandard schools, teachers, and environments that aren't conducive to learning??
I'm getting to the point that I think it's never.
I'm getting to the point that I think it's never.
39
Can you imagine how much harder it would have been for them if they had had a 504 or an IEP like so many poor and underprivileged students have today? The stigma that goes along with having a learning challenge would have been devastating, as it often is today. Would these elite schools have provided assets to and IEP student? Do they today? Authentic and expensive assets? Do public schools today have the ability to provide real and authentic (very costly) assets to IEP and 504 students today? Do teachers today understand what real and authentic support for IEP and 504 students? Do administrators understand?
10
All of these men are awesome, and the families who sent them off to school are equally awesome. And this article is so well-written and so complete; it reveals every facet, every fuzzy edge and emotion of this issue as well as being an engrossing story.
52
In light of Trump and DeVos and their retrograde beliefs and policies, this story is both heartening and heartbreaking.
62
Thank you, Mr. Secret, for your thorough, sensitive research and writing of this important story. I am so glad you took the time to meet and listen to these men and record their stories.
There is an idea that journalists should not involve themselves in their stories but I believe the best joirnalists cannot help but impact the stories they report. I was particularly moved by your interactions with Pastor Johnny Holloway and can't help but think that your ability to listen carefully helped him find peace.
Looking at the school photos accompanying this article I am struck byte youth and bravery of these boys. Their courage and strength Is an inspiration and I am grateful to them for their sacrifices.
There is an idea that journalists should not involve themselves in their stories but I believe the best joirnalists cannot help but impact the stories they report. I was particularly moved by your interactions with Pastor Johnny Holloway and can't help but think that your ability to listen carefully helped him find peace.
Looking at the school photos accompanying this article I am struck byte youth and bravery of these boys. Their courage and strength Is an inspiration and I am grateful to them for their sacrifices.
52
What an important story that needs to get told! I was particularly struck by the comment about Marvin's hair: how he deliberately leveraged the Afro to gain height and that he deliberately wanted a sea of white parents to be looking at his Afro during his valedictorian speech (which, sadly, did not happen). Brilliant.
32
Growing up in Arlington Virginia during the period described I was bussed for 7th grade to a formerly all black school (Hoffman-Boston) in an effort to integrate Arlington's school system. I had spent the previous few grades attending an integrated school on a local army base so at first I didn't think it was a big deal. The school was roughly 90% black and 10% white and I found the environment very hostile towards the white kids, especially if you were doing well academically. The white parents who could afford putting their kids in a private school did so immediately but we were a family of 5 living in a 1-bedroom apartment and I was expected to tough it out. I responded by missing 83 days of school that year and the only thing I learned was how to fight. My little sister went through the same thing 2 years later. Both of us were A students prior to attending that school. I feel like Marvin and Bill had it better at VES than we had it at Hoffman-Boston
33
Is it a competition?
11
I grew up in the north: basically, the same age as the first set of entries in this school and visibly can remember where I was when Dr. King was assassinated. Of course, I wasn't in the surrounding of a group of whites being celebratory, because had I been the outcome would've been similar to what this gentleman decided to do. I didn't grow up with an inferior complex: and I need to emphasize the fact that my birth order (no.9 out of 12) allowed me to witness my siblings head on to college or General Motors right after high school. However, after reading this article and becoming slightly irate as to the bullying that took place, I have to express gratitude to my higher power for not being the recipient of such tactics, because had I, my method of resolve would've been retaliatory: after all, I learned self-defense early on in life.
6
I'm so profoundly moved by this article. Thank you for uncovering this important piece of history and thank you to the young men, now grown, who so bravely shared their lives and stories. If this last election proves anything, it is that the expectations and pressures put on black people in this country to not only achieve but succeed at a level that far exceeds their white peers is at the core of racism. And Donald Trump and the GOP Congress' blatant and shameless attempts to undo all that Obama achieved shows they've learned nothing and have no desire to move beyond a regressive, racist agenda that harkened back to the worst days of our country's history.
42
I scanned the lengthy article and found no "costs" and where did the love of education go?
6
This article exemplifies the deepest heart of education, the opening of minds to the world both as it is and as it could be. These young men were heroes in every sense. They laid their bodies and minds down for the benefit of all of us. In contrast this comment is confusing yet so obviously cold and mean. My family is from Tennessee and when I return I am chilled by the overt bigotry that still permeates that society and so many of its white "leaders."
32
Perhaps instead of scanning the article, you should read it. I can only imagine what these fine young boys went through and how alone they felt without their families in a world so patently alien to them. The roots of racism were deeply imbedded in the white high school students who cheered and were gleeful learning that Martin Luther King had been murdered. My heart sank when I read that. If the black students hadn't felt alone by that point, they certainly realized it then. The headmaster setting the student body straight must have helped some but the damage was done. The more intelligent of the students must have realized.
This story is timely and I hope that our representatives in congress and the senate realize that we are at a crossroads when everything achieved by our first black president is being torn down and for what seems no other reason but racism.
This story is timely and I hope that our representatives in congress and the senate realize that we are at a crossroads when everything achieved by our first black president is being torn down and for what seems no other reason but racism.
84
The cost - experiencing pervasive, unpredictable and numerous racially discriminatory acts at the hands of their White peers with no justice.
20
"My hope is for V.E.S. to accept the challenge of developing a new lifestyle, a new atmosphere, a new microcosm in which life is given more perspective besides the one-sided affluent one,” he said calmly at the end of the speech. “The challenge for V.E.S. is to create a new spirit, to perforate the buildings of this campus. I hope that movement continues.”
The quote is from the graduation speech in 1970 of one of the first black scholarship boys to graduate from an elite prep school in the south, Virginia Episcopal School, where I heard my daughter deliver a graduation speech in 2016 as the president of the senior class during the school's Centennial year of celebration. My daughter lives about a mile from the school with her mother and was a day student on scholarship. Her best friend was of Puerto Rican descent from New York and played basketball on scholarship at VES. And her boyfriend in high school was an African American of mixed origin and basketball star from North Carolina who now plays for Kentucky, all on scholarship, too. The NYT article makes the point that integration and familiarity breeds harmony and that the talented tenth who took a leadership role in the process furthered that cause. Education and making A's was the way to survive and thrive. It still is.
Thank God for these men, their sacrifices, their education, and all that they achieved.
The quote is from the graduation speech in 1970 of one of the first black scholarship boys to graduate from an elite prep school in the south, Virginia Episcopal School, where I heard my daughter deliver a graduation speech in 2016 as the president of the senior class during the school's Centennial year of celebration. My daughter lives about a mile from the school with her mother and was a day student on scholarship. Her best friend was of Puerto Rican descent from New York and played basketball on scholarship at VES. And her boyfriend in high school was an African American of mixed origin and basketball star from North Carolina who now plays for Kentucky, all on scholarship, too. The NYT article makes the point that integration and familiarity breeds harmony and that the talented tenth who took a leadership role in the process furthered that cause. Education and making A's was the way to survive and thrive. It still is.
Thank God for these men, their sacrifices, their education, and all that they achieved.
89
What a moving piece. I'm familiar with all of the schools mentioned in this article. I am awed and humbled by the men you profile here. I can only say that I hope they will find ways to stay involved with VES as highly visible, successful alumni. The conversations they continue to have with their aging classmates and with current students are crucial. The example they present is still essential, now again maybe more than in any decades since with 1970s, with the resurgence of white supremacist attitudes being normalized and made respectable. Thank you, gentlemen, for having been the brave boys, then young men, that you were.
56
Thanks for sharing this - such a fascinating read and really incredible to learn about the Magnificent 7; truly heroes!
22
I cannot express the gratitude and admiration I feel for these young men adequately. Thank you, gentlemen, for marking out the road for the many of us who followed you. The road wasn't easy after you but it was certainly not as hard. Thank you.
29
Thank you for this story - told in such delicate, loving detail that it's somehow both uplifting and heartbreaking. I look forward to reading your book.
Thank you to the Magnificent Seven for helping shape the better world I was lucky to grow up in. You give me inspiration to keep pressing forward.
Thank you to the Magnificent Seven for helping shape the better world I was lucky to grow up in. You give me inspiration to keep pressing forward.
95
Amazing article and story! Thank you!
31
Thank you Thank you to all these men. Thank you for moving us forward. I cannot imagine what you must have gone through just by striving for education, equal treatment and just being American. It is not always about privilege. I see you as real and true examples of strong American men and strong Black men.
53
I, too, as a Black man applaud their fortitude and determination. I admit, however, to some ruefulness that these boys were burdened with teaching white people to see and live beyond their carefully prescribed boundaries. The Black boys received a fine education. That was terrific. When will American whites take up the rightful burden of educating themselves about the people in their own nation and its communities? Non-whites have always had to do this.
185
Unfortunately, as the rich and powerful white majority, to have a successful and happy life - it just simply isn't "necessary" - not racist - to take up the rightful burden of educating themselves about the people in their own nation and its communities." The real necessary connection is that of the heart of the individual.
4
Oh, but it is absolutely necessary -- in order to have a happy and "successful" life -- that is, a life of meaning and purpose -- to, at a minimum, educate yourself fully about your own civilization and culture as it includes and is nurtured by its diverse inhabitants. Else, you are not well-educated at all -- not in the least. And how on earth can that define a "successful" life, Mr. Slater?
3
I recently took a course at the University of Minnesota called Multicultural Literature of the United States. We studied representative works by African American, American Indian, Asian American, and Chicano/Chicana writers, chiefly from the 20th century. As a white American born and raised in an affluent suburban town, I'd encountered very few minorities in my life, much less people who had drastically different life experiences from my own. For me, Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man provided a window into a world that I had never considered. The Invisible Man's journey brought to light many forms of discrimination people of color face throughout their lives both from conservative Southerners and well-wishing Northerners. It made me aware of my own ignorance to deeply rooted discrimination within our society. I too hope that my generation, and the generations beyond mine, will educate themselves on the experiences of others that differ greatly from their own.
13
As a Black man I post a huge applause to these men. You're the American men I admire most and can't thank you enough for your great important lesson of perseverance and not victimhood. A must read for today's young Black male!
133
... and a must-read for today's young white man too. Not to mention that young white man's parents, teachers, ministers, coaches and youth leaders. I plan to share this article with my (white) teenaged son and have a heart-to-heart conversation with him about it, and about our expectations for how HE will be in the world.
118
And females also.