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During the first week of school registration, I was assigned to the third grade. I
was happy because I had requested either third or fourth. I had an internship

with fourth graders, and my first year of teaching was third grade, so things were

working out great. However, there was one parent who refused to let his child be
a part of my class roll. He said, “No Negro is going to teach my child.” At the

time, I was the only African-American at Sterling Elementary, which was located

in Hollywood, Florida. There were no custodians, no cafeteria workers, and
certainly no other teachers! I had to make an adjustment, but I had no problem

being a good team player.

Despite the drama, my students’ parents loved me and were very cooperative. It

was the first time I had ever received Christmas gifts from parents. One Hispanic

parent became a good friend of mine. Once, I was going to a Christmas Ball and
needed a fancy hairdo along with some good makeup. This parent was an expert

in both areas. She invited me to bring my change of clothes and shower at her
house since I lived too far to go home and come back. When she finished with

me, I looked glamorous.

Another family invited me to dinner to discuss their child’s progress. It was a Here I am singing at the Lawrence Bowden and

nerve-racking experience because, once again, I was in Ku Klux Klan territory. Vivian Hurston Bowden poolside wedding in
Sanford in 1971.
Traveling by night to an unfamiliar address was not wise. In fact, I got lost and

a policeman stopped me to ask where I was going. I guess I looked suspicious. After explaining my circumstances, he escorted me to

my destination. The dinner with my student’s family and our conference went well. All their family members were present, including
grandparents – a total of six persons. The evening proved to be productive, and I made it home all in one piece. LOL!