Report:
FREEDOM SCHOOL PROGRAM
of Hempstead High School
April, 1970, to June, 1970
compiled by the participants
Roger Dennis
David Garvin
Steven Hayes
Eddie Howe
Steve Johnson
Curtis Lattimore
Carolyn (Crickett) Lofton
Lisa Still
Sarita Taylor
Brenda Wilson
Lydia Willis
CONTENTS
Page
1. Introduction
2. Initial description of program
7. Sample of daily activities
9 Progress Report – May, 1970
12 Newspaper account of similar program
13 Teacher’s comments
14 Students’ work (14-38)
14 Thoughts
16 Observations
18 Thoughts on “Love”
20 Favorite persons
21 Can a Black Man be a cop?
23 Why?
25 About the movie “Halls of Anger”
27 Open assignments
30 Specific things
31 Non-assigned writings
33 Reports
37 Thoughts on drugs by one student at different times
38 Students’ Evaluations of regular high school and Freedom School
DEMONSTRATION PROJECT AT THE
HEMPSTEAD COMMUNITY EDUCATION CENTER
Philosophy
Students are questioning whether what is learned in school is learned only for the purposes of the school. This well-known irrelevance of education has caused many educators to begin thinking about what is relevant to today’s student. This project, as well as many others, is a result of such thinking. It is hoped that from the findings of this demonstration project a new school can be evolved which offers a more realistic and practical route to the mastery of knowledge.
Limitations
For the purpose of demonstration only, the number of students participating in this project should be limited to ten at any given time. This number can be enlarged with added staff and facilities.
Admission Criteria
1. Interested students who are suspended can choose to continue classes at the center.
2. Students who are felt to be unmotivated for structural classroom activity. (This decision rests with Principal upon recommendation from Pupil Personnel Team.)
3. The student who may appear to be unmotivated for structural classroom activity and may choose to select a less formal and more flexible learning experience. (recommendation made to Principal by Pupil Personnel Team)
4. Seniors are excluded from project. However, if the project is expanded, seniors can be graduated from the open school.
Curricula
The project will be structured so that it will deal with three aspects of education. These are as follows:
1. Fundamentals – Improving or trying to improve the basic skills (necessities) which are so vital to the learning processes throughout life; especially reading. Focus will be on faster reading with more comprehension and ability to analyze what was read in relation to the learning process. Logic and perception will thus be studied in order to help a student think more clearly and make valid decisions as well as adjustments. The amount of time given to this aspect will be determined by the students themselves.
2. Pragmatic and Specific Realities – Students interested in college must be aware that certain things are required of them for admission to most schools. In the case of SAT’S, the aforementioned part of the program, the study of fundamentals such as reading and mathematics will be a great aid. But it might not be enough. And also there are specific subject requirements, such as languages and sciences. Other students may be interested in less common things, e.g. home economics, ceramics, sculpture, horse breeding. We will have to relate as best we can to the needs and desires of the group as a whole with respect for individual differences or abstentions. E.g., if we begin with an initial group of ten students and we find that seven of us are desirous of attending college, it would then prove valuable to allot ourselves ample time in the subject areas which are generally necessary for college. But if the group decides to spend time in the college areas, it will still be the right of each individual to spend more or less time in this study. So if only two of us choose to study biology and two of us choose German, and one of us horse breeding, etc., then it will be up to those individuals to pursue these subjects as best they can through their own ingenuity and resourcefulness. Hopefully there will be a working agreement with the regular high school so that the student can work out his own agreement to work with a Biology teacher, or there might be a biologist in the community; or maybe a student could study with another student in the group who is proficient in a given subject. The student interested in horses might spend one day a week grooming horses at Roosevelt Raceway. There are countless possibilities.
3. Awareness – This is the area of study which is most difficult to put on paper. It will probably be very flexible. We will hope to grow more aware of ourselves as individuals and as members of different sub-groups in different and/or similar environments. It is quite probable, for example, that the initial group in the experimental program will be very interested in Black awareness; hence the group may choose to spend a lot of time studying Black History or Black Literature. They may want to work with colleges or other community people. They may choose to attend theatre or poetry readings, etc. They may want to create something on their own.
Generally, this (the awareness area) will be the area where we search to find answers to the things that are bothering many young people today. We will hope to learn of things that are good and things that are bad. We will try to find constructive ways to work for needed improvements at least, but hopefully not only, in our own lives.
Again, let it be stressed that each student is free to relate to this area to whatever degree he or she chooses. The group will act as the feeling of the group directs, but individuals or smaller groups can “Do their own thing.”
The awareness aspect will be the most open in terms of interaction with the community. This more or less leads us into a discussion of the structure of the experimental program.
(To paraphrase Herbert Kohl in The Open Classroom) The whole community ought to be the school, and the classroom a home base for the teachers and students, a place where they can talk and rest and learn together, but not the sole place of learning. The classroom ought to be a communal center, a comfortable environment in which plans can be made and experiences assessed. Much of the learning will occur in the classroom. Much will occur outside the classroom.
Rules and regulations are a must. They will be decided upon by the entire group. In the case of the initial group, we will be eleven people. We will be eleven teachers, eleven students, eleven human beings interacting with each other and the community.
Other projects similar in approach to this one have recognized the need for a formal type of curriculum emphasizing the required areas and elective areas. There are many choices available in regards to what directions the curricula of this project will take. Please refer to Appendix. Whether we call them units, components or cycles, a system of grading will have to be evolved. Or, on the other hand, maybe the required and elective areas of study should be ungraded.
After many discussions with the Acting Principal and Pupil Personnel Team members, it was decided that the form of grading would be decided later. At first it was strongly suggested that the students take their final examinations in their regular high school subjects. This would be unfair to the students since they will not now be studying the same material. It was then proposed that the final examination be prepared by the project teacher in the subject areas taken at the center. It will be left there for now – but the feeling of the students, teachers and social worker, is that the student should evaluate himself, then be evaluated by the Pupil Personnel Team and the Project Teacher with recommendations made by the three to the Principal. (Comments would be welcomed in this area as well as any other areas.)
Duties – Pupil Personnel Team shall meet, discuss, and recommend to the Principal the names of students selected for this program.
The Pupil Personnel Team shall also receive an evaluative report on each student at the end of the school year. They shall then meet with the student and teacher and then make recommendations to the Principal as to where the student should be placed (promoted, return to center, not promoted) the next school year.
The school Psychologist shall do psychological testing on each student selected for the program (provided they are willing) and provide data to the Pupil Personnel Team as to the intellectual capacities and latent or overt psychological disturbances of the students with her recommendation as to how to deal with it.
The high school social worker will be responsible for coordinating this project and keeping the Principal informed via periodic reports on student progress and attendance. He will also provide individual and group counseling as needed.
The teacher will be responsible for implementing the educational aspects of the project and sharing with the social worker student participation, attitudes and attendance.
Both teacher and social worker will be responsible to the Principal and provide him with a complete evaluative report on the program at the end of the school year.
Comments
If project is expanded, there will have to be a director with teachers assigned to him.
The responsibilities of student enrollment numbers are unlimited if adequate staff and facilities are available.
This is a tentative rough draft of the proposal for an open school.
The students will name the open school at some future date.
This demonstration project will change from time to time, depending upon the needs of the students involved.
Since this is a project for the High School, comments from students, faculty and administration will be welcome. Please put them in writing to expedite time. It is hoped that a program will be evolved from this rough draft and your pertinent comments that will benefit the students of Hempstead High School.
Respectfully submitted,
Marshall Cooper, CSW, ACSW
High School Social Worker
(NOTE: The program’s initial description was actually co-authored by both the social worker and the teacher. For pragmatic reasons – considering the political and social realities of the day and wanting to increase the chances that the proposal would be accepted – it was decided to leave the teacher’s name off of the document.)
(NOTE: Ten students were chosen. Together, they were failing 52 of the 57 courses they were enrolled in. All had unsatisfactory behavior or attendance records; most had both.)
(Sample of daily activities)
To: Mr. Marshall Cooper, Social Worker
From: Mr. Roger Dennis, Teacher
Subject: Report on Activities at Community Education Center
Thursday, April 9 We discussed the idea of the school, how it would work, etc. We then split up and went to three bookstores, each of us compiling a list of books that we – individually - were interested in.
Friday, April 10 We voted as a group to schedule our school day as follows: 9 A.M. to 1 P.M. – community center or related community work; 1 P.M. to 2 P.M. – lunch; 2 P.M to 3 P.M. free period. These hours are flexible, and on any given day might be different. We agreed that if we enter the high school building (during lunch or free period) that we would enter through the front door and secure a pass. We would go to school either to visit Mr. Cooper or a teacher, or to sit in the cafeteria, as is legally done by students at the high school. We assume that this is legal (for those of us who have not been suspended). We discussed the importance of showing respect and obeying the rules anyway, but especially since we don’t want to mess our program up. We bought a few books (we hope to get reimbursed by the school) and began readings.
Monday, April 13 We discussed the topic “relative deprivation” with a special emphasis on the comparison of the southern Black Man with northern Blacks. This conversation brought us to many other topics, including the Harlem Renaissance (of the 1920’s). We agreed that we knew little about the Renaissance and decided that we would visit the Schomburg Collection (of the Countee Cullen Library) in Harlem tomorrow (if I can get my car) and do some research on it.
We discussed and agreed on our initial curriculum and chose the first books that we would use.
Tuesday, April 14 Visited Schomburg Collection in Harlem, did research on Harlem Renaissance. Got back about 7:00 P.M.
Wednesday, April 15 Valuable discussion on police-community relations with Cleve Winfield, a black Nassau County policeman who is also a resident of and community worker in Hempstead.
Thursday, April 16 Evaluated previous day’s discussion. Also evaluated program so far. Agreed that we’re satisfied with our progress and direction. Voted to strongly request that no more than six new students be admitted to the program on Monday; possibly more later, but more than six at this time might interfere with our informal and flexible approach. We decided to do more research on the Renaissance.
Friday, April 17 Back to Schomburg Collection. Also spent a couple of hours walking the streets in Harlem (in small groups). Got back about 7 again.
Monday, April 20 Quiet day. Independent reading.
Tuesday, April 21 Made general outline for week. Discussed ( )’s apparent lack of interest. (He hasn’t been here much). Decided to attempt communication with him as regards program. Individual reading.
Wednesday, April 22 Listened to radio and read newspapers. Individual reading. Worked on Renaissance project.
Thursday, April 23 Some new students. Discussion of our concepts. Reading. Relaxed and got to know each other a bit.
Friday, April 24 Schomburg (city) again. Got back at 4:00.
Monday, April 27 Listened to tape of discussion with Winfield (Black cop). Further discussion.
Tuesday, April 28 Renaissance poetry from Black Voices. Initial (short) discussion of Black Anger (anthropology, psychology). Discussion of frauds in the ghetto (as Introduction to Math).
Wednesday, April 29 Math (initial “testing” to see where students are (level). Langston Hughes – analyzing poetry. Spontaneous creative writing. Group of students began writing play.
Thursday, April 30 Listened to radio and jived around. Read newspapers. Discussion: media slanting. Math.
Friday, May 1 Radio. Newspapers. Compared different newspapers’ approach to same stories. Math. We left early (11:30) and went to beach. Got back about 3:30.
(Progress Report written and submitted to Mr. Cooper in May, 1970)
The specific subjects which the group are studying are Anthropology, Sociology, English Literature, Reading, Creative Writing and Expository Writing, and Basic Mathematics.
Except for the last named, we have been working on these subjects since the inception of the program. We began Math on April 29, the reason for this latter circumstance being the general disinterest of the group in the subject. It was necessary to help them to see the importance of Math, or in the case where they might not see it themselves, it was necessary to have established a rapport and trust with the students so they might accept it when it was suggested that “Even though it may not seem important now, there will probably be a time in your life when you will be glad you learned it, etc. etc.”
(1) In Anthropology, we are reading Black Anger, by Wulf Sachs. It is a true story of a Black Rhodesian medicine man, and how he relates to the black and white communities, and they to him. There are many interesting comparisons to be made – both similarities and differences – among the life styles of the black and white Rhodesians and black and white Americans.
(2) Sociology. We’re reading Addict in the Street, edited by Larner and Tefferteller. We are studying the heroin problem with honesty. We are not pretending that it is no fun to get high, but we are learning about the physiological and psychological consequences of heroin addiction. We are trying to discover the underlying reasons why people turn to heroin. Further, we’re emphasizing the fact that very few addicts ever get themselves back together. We’re talking about the possibility of trying to find an alternative to getting high with drugs, e.g. getting your own high, from within yourself and without taking anything, just by gaining an understanding of and respect for yourself, as an individual and as a part of humanity.
(3) English Literature. We’re studying the Harlem Renaissance, a time (1920’s) when black writers exploded on to the scene with such quantity and quality so as to cause some literary experts to consider this the greatest period of Writing in the history of America; Black or White. We are relating it to the social and historical realities of the time, the emergence of William E.B. DuBois as a proud Black man, the Back-to Africa movement of Marcus Garvey, the tragedy of the ‘Red Summer” of 1919. Right now we’re using Black Voices. I’m hoping we’ll have time to do Langston Hughes’ autobiography, The Big Sea. It is an interesting work in itself and presents a vivid picture of what the Renaissance was all about.
(4) Reading. The students are reading the aforementioned books. Certain individuals are substituting for Black Anger. A few students are reading all the above plus additional books.
(5) Creative and Expository Writing. Rick Sinatra has been coming over for 90 minutes on Wednesdays and Fridays. He handles the class at the time and could better explain his program. Briefly, though, he uses slides in a sequence and tries to get the students to express what they’re seeing, literally and/or figuratively. He works on coherency, vocabulary, uses of metaphors, punctuation, etc. but always trying primarily to have the students think for themselves and express their ideas vividly.
(6) Math. The students are generally poor in math. They are on at least three levels, with a couple students not even knowing the multiplication tables. I am working with the students individually as much as possible. The students are also helping each other. We picked up copies of the 9th year textbooks, but only a couple of us are ready for it now. I have given Mr. Cooper the name of a review text which gives a good explanation of most of the things we’re having trouble with. Presently we have only one copy of it. We usually do at least 45 minutes daily.
Student Evaluations
Five students are presently passing (overall), one is borderline, four are failing.
P ( ) Excellent attendance and interest. Does extra work. Having trouble in math, but passing it. Doing well in other subjects.
P ( ) Excellent attendance and interest. (except in math). Presently failing math because of missed homework assignments. Has indicated that he will make up the work soon. Doing well in other subjects.
P ( ) Very conscientious and very ‘into’ the program. Doing well in everything.
P ( ) Has much trouble with most aspects of academics. Is passing because of outstanding effort and steady improvement.
? ( ) Is questionable only because of spotty attendance. If she makes up the work she has missed, and attends regularly, she will do well.
F ( ) Comes very late. Does well when she attempts something, which so far hasn’t been very often.
F ( ) Doesn’t come very often. Also does well when he wants to. Although he is failing, I believe the program will be beneficial to him.
F ( ) Shows up, enjoys the social aspects of the program, but has so far not responded to academics.
F ( ) Is ‘treading on thin ice.’ The group has discussed the possibility of dismissing him from the program. He seldom comes, seldom takes part even when he’s here.
R.D. May, ‘70
(Note: The last student (above) improved tremendously shortly after this report. By June he was a very real asset to the group.)
Account of a similar program, as reported in the Sunday News, June 13, 1971…”A New Way Is Tried to Ease School Woes” by Bert Shanas
…More and more, the conservative attitude of the first teacher is giving way to the feelings of those who think the school system must develop a new approach to students who don’t fit into the normal school scheme. In the past year a variety of “alternative methods” has been tried, and more are being proposed. The trend is now one of changing the school system to meet the needs of the pupils instead of trying to change the pupil to fit the school structure.
George Washington High School is a prime example of the new approach. Last year and earlier this year the school was a virtual student battleground. Fires, violence, vandalism and closings were the norm at the Washington Heights High School, where the police spent 4,000 man hours of time.
Today, though, the school appears on the road to recovery. The United Federation of Teachers chapter pins the apparent success on the approach taken by Samuel Kostman, who took over as principal (the fourth in less than a year) last December.
Kostman was rough in enforcing suspensions on what the union called “the few hard-core troublemakers.” But at the same time he instituted a special “alternative” school for pupils who were “turned off” by the regular course of study at George Washington.
Called George Washington Prep, that school serves 42 students in a nearby church in an informal setup that offers individual instruction and guidance by specially trained teachers and street-workers. The students, all volunteers, take English, Spanish. Social Studies, Mathematics, Art and Health Education in a quiet, intimate atmosphere.
The pace is easy, unlike the hectic hours at the 4,000 – pupil high school, and the students are free to “rap” with each other and the teachers about their problems.
If a student wants to smoke in class, he lights up. If he wants to drink soda pop, he does. It’s unconventional, but it’s working for students who were likely dropouts or who would have wound up in trouble under the normal system.
Three similar programs are already in operation in other high schools, and last Tuesday School Chancellor Harvey Scribner announced that 10 more will be opened in September.
In doing so, Scribner, a prime exponent of the “alternative approach,” emphasized that the alternative schools are not ”kickout academies” or reform schools,” for disruptive youngsters, but for youngsters “who feel that for one reason or another the regular high school is not for them.”
(Our program - RD comments)
I could say a lot more about our program, tell you about some of the other things we did. etc., but it’s probably not necessary. I’ll just make a few last comments.
Except for a two week period that was mostly my fault, our attendance was very good.
We had no discipline problems. Potential problems were worked out, either by the entire group or by the specific parties involved.
Students read – and comprehended – many works that were supposedly well above their reading levels.
We got into writing right away. But we didn’t talk about spelling and punctuation and all that stuff for at least two weeks. The students were told, “The most important thing right now is to be able to express yourself. Write what you feel and say it the best way you can. Use street language if you wish. Don’t worry about spelling, etc.; we’ll work on that later. Language is, more than anything else, a means to communicate.”
This did not mean that we were negating the importance of learning to speak and write “correctly”; it was just a switch of priorities. After the student gains confidence in his ability to express himself, he is much more interested in and able to improve his general writing and speaking habits.
What did we accomplish?
We experienced good times
And bad times
We worked
And played
We expressed our thoughts and feelings
The beautiful ones
And the ugly ones
We learned
And GREW
Probably the most important thing about our program was that, even though it didn’t last long enough, the students began to gain a foundation of SELF. And that’s important. An individual who has knowledge and understanding of himself also has knowledge and understanding of others, and there is then very little in life that he won’t be able to deal with.
R.D. June, 1970
STUDENTS’ WORK
(I told the students, suddenly, to take out a piece of paper and write down whatever thoughts they had. I told them not to censor anything; and that I would hope they would hand them in because I would like to read them, but they could hold onto them if they chose. These were written during the first week)
Right now I am thinking about this girl who this morning I told that I did not go to school at the high school any more. She started to cry. This really blew my mind. I never had any one cry over me for something so small. She really broke me up. She made me feel real bad. I was wondering I will be in a awful fix if I can’t get my credits for this year I will not graduate next year which wouldn’t bother me so much if I weren’t so damn old. If I have to spend an extra year in high school I will be (age) by the time I get out which is embarrassing to me.
Well what I am thinking about right now is this girl she think that she is in love with this singer which aint thinking about her. Everytimes she call him up about 50 times a day. He went away to Cleveland for a week and she can’t wait till he get back. Well I was talking to him Sunday nite and he said she is to dam ugly stinky. And he said she try to act so fly. He said that she can’t have no telephone call. Everytime I turn around she always talking about him and he don’t give a dam about her.
I’m thinking about getting high and going to get (a woman) like I do all the time. I get high and go to Rockville Centre to a girl house. I get high off pot, I skinpit one time, drink all the time.
My first though is I’m gonna kick Brenda Kaye’s ass if she don’t shut the hell up and leave me alone. But that isn’t important because she is irrelevant to my thoughts. What I am worried about is how in the hell am I gonna read all these damn books with the little time I have. I use to enjoy reading a lot but now I just don’t have the time for it because I’m to busy thinking about ( ) and when he’s coming home. But I’m going to try very hard to gather all the knowledge I can from these books. And Brenda wanted me to write about her and ( ) but I’m not gonna do it, cause I’m tired of hearing his damn name.
You can read what I wrote but next time don’t be so damn nosy.
If I left I would look up ( ), ( ), ( ), and ( ). We would get together and go to ( ) and get some car keys. Then we would go and get my cousin and cop a ounce of smoke. After we got high we would split up. ( ) and ( ) would go to ( ) dealers and get keys. While ( ), ( ), and myself would get plates for the car. Once we got plates we will go put them on, and ( ) would go in and talk to the dealer while ( ) and I would take the car. We would allow ( ) five minutes. Once we are together we would meet ( ) and ( ) in Jamaica. While in Jamaica we would steal two more cars to come back home with. Before coming home we would look up ( ) to make up a registration for the cars so we can sell them.
On weekends we would go to Suffolk County and do some breaking and entering. We don’t get televisions unless it can fit in the trunk. If something goes wrong we meet at the ( ). So far so good.
(Observations… Students were assigned to go someplace, observe something or somebody, and write about it.)
Right now were in this store which reminds me of something out of an old movie. This store is a real snap. It doesn’t look like he makes much money it just looks like it’s a hobby for him. The man who runs the store is very old he looks to me like he is 102. This store is really very depressing, it doesn’t look very sanitary, the old man doesn’t use a cloth to wipe the counter he uses his hands. Right now he’s putting sugar in the shakers I get the feeling he is doing it just to impress me. The more I look at this old man the depressed I get just now he was cutting his finger nails who wants to look at that while there eating. I wouldn’t eat anything in here that was open like the roles sitting there, you should see this cup he gave sarita with tea in it, it looks very dirty. Just a minute ago I saw an ant run across the counter. Right now I am getting a faint smell of urine, this could be my imagination. The coffee over looks like it has separated an the coffee is falling to the bottom an a man just come in and bought some, somebody should report this place to the board of health. I bet you this store bring in about a dollar a day.
Me & Steve went in this stinking, smelly, funky store and order a cup of tea, a coke and a pack of Cools. Of course he was buying cause I wasn’t gonna buy anything from the pluted store. He gave me the tea in a dirty glass and about 2 inches of dust was on the counter. But while I’m writing this a roach is trying to crawl on my paper. There is only one little old man who works in this store and he looks like he is gonna kick the bucket any minute now. He just sits there reading his newspaper and when someone comes in he jumps. Now he’s filling up all the sugar jars with lumpy 2 year old sugar. He has gray hair, pop eyes, a long nose and he sings to himself. He’s wearing some blue trousers with a blue and white stripe shirt that looks like he’s been wearing for 50 years. Now he’s reading his paper again, hasn’t turned a page yet. There he goes jumping up again cause a customer has just walked in. He waits on the customer and after the customer leaves he starts cutting his fingernails again. He’s straighting up again and is closing his cash register which contains about .75. He had the nerve to serve a man some coffee that looks like its been there for years. And looks like it has a cup full of dirt in it. This old man is a snap and you should come and check him out. He’s watching me now I guess he wonders why I’m not drinking his pissy smelling tea. I got up to get some candy and he sat there staring at me. I guess he though I was gonna steal something. I wanted to hold my nose because I was afraid to inhale the smog in his store. Now he’s sitting down again reading the paper and tapping his foot. As we walked out the store he didn’t even look at us I guess he was afraid we might attack him.
Mr. Hot Dog
Here I am standing at T.S.S. snack bar watching Mr. Hot Dog and his friends. The must think they’re at a beach getting a tan. They each are trying to get darker than the other.
Mr. Hot Dog seems to be in the lead as far as the tans are coming along.
A hot dog lover approached the stand with three others. She buys hot dogs friends. Hot dog seems to want to go also but he falls off of the fork. His friends are gone and they seem to draw away from him.
Feeling sorry for him I go over and take away his unhappyness by buying him to the same place his friend went.
Time Square Store
Here I am at time Square at the Snack Bar watching Mrs. Shrimp Roll on the grill getting ready to be cook, but she rolled over to Mr. Pototes head and she said would you like to come over. Mr. Pototes head said what will I get if I come over? Mrs. Shrimp roll said Ha, Ha, when you come over you will find out. So late on Mr. Potoes head came over and the music was going on like they was by thay self they was in a corner and the Music start blasting real loud. And you should know what they’re doing now. So late on Mr. Pototes head wife came over and she heard the loud music over Mrs. Shrimp roll dug-out so she roll in the dug-out and so Mrs. Shrimp roll and her husband so Mrs. Popotes head radded her dug-out and (mess) up Mrs. Shrimp roll and Mrs. Pototes head said if you ever in your life be with my husband I beat the hell out of you.
I went to Lerner’s Shop and picked out a person to observe. I walked around for a little while and finally spotted a shoplifter trying to steal a hat. The girl was black, had an afro, and was about 5’4”. She looked like she was no more that 14 or 15. She wore a red and white striped blouse, with white pants and sandles. This girl’s friend worked in the store and she was telling her when somebody was watching. I know she was scared to death, because she was so nervous. She acted like she didn’t really want to do it, but it seemed like her friend was convincing her to do it.
Like, when _____ didn’t want to take the car, but his friends convinced him to.
(Assignment: Thoughts on “Love”)
Love is a feeling just as hate and like.
Love is a hurting thing but also a wonderful thing.
Love can bring happiness and some beautiful delights.
Yet love can destroy you with all the sadness it brings.
I can’t express my feelings about love because I have no feelings about it. I have never been in love before and don’t want to ever be, because I’m really afraid to fall in love because people say that love is a hurting thing and I am afraid to get hurt. I can’t go as far as liking someone. I don’t believe it was meant for me and I can’t dig it at all. Now when I get to Love making then my attitude changes.
In my opinion there are many different kinds of love for example you wouldn’t love your mother the way you would love your wife. Or you wouldn’t love sport or your dog the way you love your mother. Me my self I think there is only one kind of love I haven’t exspereinced (I know that’s spelled wrong). That is the love you would have for your wife a lot of times I thought I was in love but it could not have been love because it didn’t last. I wonder sometimes what it feels like it really bugs me sometimes. There is one thing I don’t understand why people refer to the sex act in some cases as making love. In some cases it is but in many cases it’s not. Sometimes the sex act is just a habit or a way of making money or just something to pass the time away. It is not really making love.
Love to me is really love for yourself or your people. My love for my people is very strong. Love for your people really mean when you will go out and help your people in any way you can. Like if they need money and have no way of getting it and if you love your people you will be kind and give to them. Another way is that if your people do not have jobs and you try your best to help them this another way of saying how much love you have for your people.
This is something I don’t know very much about. But I am going to tell you what I think it is. Love is when you really like something very much, and you can’t live without it.
I really couldn’t say what love is for me for I haven’t yet to find the right person to fall in love with. I go with this boy now but I can’t say I really love him but I like him a lot. People say you get a strong feeling in side. But I don’t know if I do or don’t.
What love mean to me. Love is a hurting thing and love making is good. Love is like a person who like someone and they just bullshit them around cause they know that you like him a lot. I can’t explain everything and when he know that he got your nose and know that he can do anything to you & then come back to you anytime he want to. I am not sure this mean Love but that’s all I could think of.
I was in Love once and I still am in love with the same boy. To me love is a real good feeling. I mean it makes you feel real good inside. Not puppy love I mean real true love. You feel this way for a while but then it happens you find that the guy your in love with doesn’t love you as much as you love him. This hurts you but you love him so much you try to understand. But then he continually hurt me time and time again. Maybe not purposely but it happened. But I love him so much I couldn’t leave him. Specially after a boy makes love to you its hard to forget him. This makes you love him even more. Then another girl comes in the picture but you still love him and you can’t leave him. Now after being in love with this boy for a year and a half you know he has to still love. So you continually try to make him love you again at times I feel I’ve accomplished this and then he fades away again at this point your love is still the same. Why I don’t know. I guess that’s just the way love is and all I can say that if things go on I hope can get him back or maybe one day I’ll wake up and see him and I won’t feel anything. If this does happen I hope I never fall in love again. So to me love contains happiness and pain. I walked into love without thinking of the danger and I’ll never do it again.
(This last one was done by a regular high school student who visited us on occasion and chose to contribute.)
(Assignment: Write about someone whom you like (or dislike) very much.)
I can dig someone who is righteous. What I mean by righteous is hip or together. Someone who can dig what I can dig. Someone who likes to party. I can dig a person who is not nosy or loud. I can’t stand a loud person who doesn’t know how to act. Or a person who acts childish. I know one sister who is just that simple and she thinks its cute, but she just doesn’t know its pathedic. I can dig this sister Carolyn Lofton (better known as Crickett) She is crazy but I can dig her act because it is her natural thing. That her personality. Everyone knows Crickett for acting that way. That is really someone I can dig.
There are a very few people that I dislike. But there is this one boy who really annoys me. At first I just thought that it was only me who disliked him. But then I found many people who didn’t like him. One main reason why I don’t like him is that he’s always talking about something he doesn’t know anything about. Another thing is he’s always talking about a girl he had and how nice she was. And the thing that irritates me the most is the way he talks about clothes he seems to think clothes make the man which is a lie. Well all I can say is that this guy is about as easy to get along with as a rattle snake.
I don’t know who my favorite person is, because I have so many favorites and I don’t know which one to write about.
However, the person who I enjoy being with the most is my man, because he shows that he cares, and he makes me feel so good and happy whenever I’m with him. He’s fun to be with, and he shows me a hell of a good time.
I enjoy being with him as much as my friends. That’s very unusual for me to say, because I have a good time with my friends. They can’t show me the love and affection that he can. He makes me feel more like a woman, rather than a young lady or a teenage girl.
I know I can make him feel like a man, even though I consider him one.
My favorite is my mother, because I don’t think anyone else would have put up with me the way she have.
I think everyone’s favorite person should be their mother. Maby not, but mine’s is.
(Assignment: Can a Black Man be a cop?)
I think a blackman can be a cop if he doesn’t let the system take control of his mind. What I mean to say is that the system doesn’t let him lose knowledge of him being black. To me this is the main problem with black cops. They get this place in office where they think or the system makes them think they can rules anybody including black people. Even ______ still I have my don’ts about a blackman being a cop because I have not seen one yet that the system hasn’t blow his mind apart. So if a blackman can keep control of his mind he can be a cop.
I feel that a Black Man can be anything he really has his heart set on. Yes, I feel a Black Man can be a cop, as long as he don’t get to the point where he thinks he can do anything he wants and when he want to do it. Once he get to this point where he get to more power he goes white, he’ll turn against his own people. But he has as much right to be a cop as a white man has.
Yes I think if a Black man want to be a cop it is up to then what they want to be because no body can not rule they life not unless they are with pig the reason why I sayed this because it is so many black people in this world are brain wash by the pig and it is a Damn shame. So I think if a Black man wants to be a cop let then because if a white pig is a cop Black man have the right to be cop to. Because half of the Black man head been wash the reason why I sayed this is because Black man do not want to loose they job. So if a Black man wants to play it cool let them.
Yes, a black man can be a cop. In most instances a colored cop is considered as a tom because he’s helping the white man, get us where he’d like us to be. On the other hand, a black man can be a cop because, being a black man in general, he should know how to deal with this “pig” and con the “pig” into getting and doing certain things.
Yes I think a blackman can be a cop because he is just as brave as any other man who is a cop. There are plenty of black cops but they maybe black in color but not “in mind”. The cops that are black in this world are tom’s. You might-as-well call them pigs. Because they are brain washed by the pig. But I do think a Blackman can be a cop.
I feel that a Black man can be a cop and anything else he wants to be. To me a Black man can be the president if he wanted to be. People always say that a Black man doesn’t have a chance against a white man if he ran for president. But I believe that he would have a chance and could even win if he had the knowledge. A Black man can be anything a white man can be besides white.
Yes, a Blackman can be a cop. I’ve known two, my next door neighbor and a friend. But if a Blackman can be a cop why can’t he be a fireman?
(This was a “test”. The question was “Why?” Allotted time: 15 min.)
Why does the moon come up in the night,
Why does love bring sorrow but also delight
Why with our eyes do we see and not with our hands,
Why is it that my body is different from a mans,
Why does twos and twos make fours,
Why are so many black woman called prostitutes and whores,
Why is blue, blue and not pink,
Why is it I have a mind to think,
Why? Why? Why? Is what you hear everyday
And yet no answers come from either way.
Why do young people use drugs? I think young people use drugs because they are curious, or someone talks then into it. I would like to know what the high is like. I ask some people who are on drugs and they say the high makes them feel like they’re in their own world.
Why do I feel so bad today. Probenly cause I didn’t eat anything for a week. Now I am feeling much worse cause of you this morning. Why.
I tell you why, the reason I do that is because I feel like doing it and know body can’t stop me. The reason why I said that is because if I want to stop I will but you see I can’t stop because I enjoy it and it’s fun. So if people ask me why I tell them it’s fun you should tried it.
Why people fall in love. People have a reason to fall in love, Why because one day when you find a man or a woman walk together they think they are in love, but sometimes you see a man and woman fighting they are in love because that it love fight. Sometimes you see man and woman fight it’s not love fighting they are fighting ready to brake up and that what you call hate.
Why? Why are the people at the High School trieing to down us at the Center? Why? I don’t know, but I wish the hell they would stop (messing) around with us at the Center. Why do I say this? Because I dig the hell out of the Center and want to stay in the Center for the rest of my school year. Why do I want to stay in the Center? Because I want to be somebody was I finish school.
Why there is war and no peace?
Why there is white power?
Why there is confusion in the world?
Because there is no togetherness.
Because White is not yet together
To be together with Black.
Why is there confusion in the world?
Because the world is not yet together.
(We went to see the movie “Halls of Anger”. I asked the students to write about it and answer the question: Who would more likely benefit from viewing the film, Blacks or Whites?)
This movie starts when the Broad of Education takes a black teacher out of an all white school and make him Vice Principal of a school with 3,000 blacks and 60 whites. On the first day of school the black students started picking on the white. Within about two weeks after they were there that is the white student were there. The black students beat a white student. Then the next day in class the black teacher had the same problem between black and white students. Then as days wented by things were very cool. Then one day a white student had a black student jump on him. Then a white police guard at the school came and jumped on the black student to help the white student. He started struggling the black student that is when the black teacher came to help the black brother. Then the next day the black student stop the whites at the school entrance and told them to leave, because they did not want them in the school. Then one black and white student stated to fight. After the fight the black students started to stage a rioted when the black teacher explain thing to them and had them return to classes.
I think that the person who sees the movie who will get the most out of it will be the white person, because this movie shows what happens to a white person when he comes to an all black school. It also shows that this happens to a black person when he goes to an all white school.
The people in the movie who learned the most were: Johnson who was taught to read better and all other subject they had to do. Doug who is white who got beat on twice and wanted to leave the school and a black teacher convienced him to stay, because he told them that the same thing happens to black students when they come to a white school. J.T. a black student at the school wanted all the white people out of the school. Because he knew the white people did not want them in there school, so he did not want them in his school which he almost ran. J.T. learned that no matter what he did to prevent the white student to come to school they would still be there.
This movie, Halls of Anger, I feel is a good movie because its about what’s going on in many parts of the United States – racial problems. I think the movie was a movie that is rough and what many people would want to see. It is black and white what is going on today in the high schools which are dominantly Black or dominantly white.
…This movie was laid out well. One of the most interesting things about the movie is that it was put on the movie screen for the public to see. But couldn’t this even start a racial problem in the movie theatre? So really in a way isn’t this bad, although the movie was good? And wouldn’t the whites in the audience feel angry about this? But they could not do anything about it because they are outnumbered in the movie theatre? The movie just shouldn’t give the white people the wrong approach, because it’s only what is going on in the High Schools today.
Who would gain from the movie? I feel both would gain from the movie.
Black- That Black people can come their bag anytime, anyplace and be violent. But Black people can also be friendly such as a few characters in the movie.
White- They should never be outnumbered by the Black people who are the racial type. But there are whites who can be bold such as one character in the movie
I feel that the picture I saw was made for both Whites and Blacks. And I think that each benefitted from seeing the picture because the blacks learned that there education has to come first for them to get anywhere in life and not only the blacks need a good education but the whites too.
This picture was interesting and very becoming. It is and learning picture.
This picture was mainly to Blacks because it said that rioting isn’t really what solves it all you need and education. J.T. was slick and had it in his brains and his friends didn’t have it.
After all that rioting you still need your education to get someplace.
In the picture Hall of Anger. I think the white people learned a lesson. The reason I think the white learned a lesson is because they find out how hard it was to make it in a black school and how hard it was for a black to make it in a white school. And how hard for a black person to get along with a white person in a white school.
(Many assignments were left open for the student to think of something on their own. In fact, in a sense, they were all open. If a student did not like a particular assignment, or preferred to do something else, beautiful. The first of these following is an example of such a substitution.)
I was told to pick a poem from Black Voices and write what it meant but instead I picked a saying from Die Nigger Die and Halls of Anger because I wanted to tell how I felt it meant.
If you’re white, In this racist society if you’re white you’re suppose
You’re all right to supreme and better than anyone else.
If you’re brown, If you’re brown you’re colored and you’re not aware
Stick around of yourself and what the man is doing to you, so therefore he wont have to much trouble out of you.
But if you’re black But if you’re black you can forget it because you are
Get back, get back HELLIFIED and you don’t have a chance.
Friday night I went to see a show at the High School. To give you an idea on how good it was I don’t like ballet or any thing like that. But this was exceptionally good. It was about drugs the dancers were very good especially this one young man who was the best one. I couldn’t begin to describe how good he was because I wouldn’t know how. But anyway the show lasted for about an hour and a half. Really the show wasn’t only on drugs they had this satire on the Baptist church. Well I thought it was a satire. Then the last dance they did was about the junkie and the pusher. In the end the junkie kills the pusher he stabs him and they have red paint for blood which shakes me up pretty good. Because I didn’t expect it. All in all it was very good and it was definitely worth 50 cents. There’s only one thing that bothered me because I like to think that I am an expert on figuring things out. And I also think that I could have learned a lot from the things I missed.
Court
To me court is a very unorganized thing. They tell you to come at 9:00 in the morning and half the time they don’t start until 10:00 or 10:30. It all depends when the judge gets ready. That is very unfair not to the person who has committed but to his parents who have to sit there and damn near fall asleep. And on top of that when the judge dose start calling cases you don’t know when your case is going to be called.
And you have to sit there until it is called. One time my mother and I arrived there a few minutes after 10:00 we learned our case had been called at 9:30 so what do they do they put us last as we sat there from 10:00 to 4:30. I guess it would have killed them to tell us we were the last ones so we wouldn’t have had to sit there all the time. Now if I were in charge of the court system I would have every case at a certain time the way a doctor does. It would be a lot easier on the people envolved. I would say that court is the most unorganized system I have come across. They also call to many cases to be there in one day sometimes you can sit there from 9:00 until 4:30 an they will tell you that the judge has gone home and to come back tomorrow. I am lucky that never happened to me.
My Probation Officer
My Probation officer is a very sneaky guy. When I first met him he told me that he wasn’t a cop and he wouldn’t try to bust me doing anything. But he did exactly the opposite he’s always trying to catch me doing something. It seems to me like he’s just waiting for me to do something so he can put me away. Really it seems like he has a personal grudge against me because I got into trouble. He is very close minded about things just because I got into trouble I am classified a criminal so not trust. He never stop to think that I could have been innocent. Or I might have had a reason for doing what I did. I’m not saying I did have a reason but he doesn’t know. He never bothered to ask me why I did it. He thought he knew what I was like before he met me. He did what almost everybody does he prejudged me.
The school that I go to gets a lot of critizen from many people. One big critic is in my own family my brother. He seems to think that all we do here is bullshit all day and no school work. What he doesn’t realize is that our program is made up so you can bullshit when you want to and work when you want. When you think about it it’s better that way because I know that I really don’t learn anything when I am bored just sitting in a class room not even listening. I also learned many things in this program about myself and other people. One very important thing was for the first time in my life I enjoyed going to school. What is more important than that. I tried explaining it to my brother like that but he just couldn’t understand. When I write compositions for this school it is really fun for me because for the first time I can really write the way I feel at that time. I would recommend this program for any one who isn’t doing to well in high school.
Roger
Roger is my man because he thinks he’s hip and if he get fresh with me I’ll give him a big lip. He tries to be cool and tries to vines and tries hang but can’t cause he ain’t that kind. But he’s my favorite teacher. I like Roger, but I don’t think some people in his class do. He tries to be Black and proud but is only white and out of sight, and Roger is one of us cause he’s know what’s happen. If you can’t dig this you have a whole in your soul, you have to have more cut in your strut, more dips in your hips. You dig, man.
Sign
the man of
the hour with
all his
black power
The Girl
The girl I like the most is tall, black, young and loveable. She is the sweetest person that side of heaven – in my mind. She has the sweetest lips I ever tasted. She have a very, very nice body. Her eyes are like the moon, her hair is like sheelwool, and between her thighs beauty lies, but she is the sweet as sugar. When ever I have problem we share it together, but I’m in a world trouble all by myself cause I have one more woman than the legal law allow. One is my treasure and one is my treat, but their both such a pleasure cause their both so sweet. But they call me dirty dog, because I’m loving double, a world of trouble. There is the end of my story, man.
Sign
The
Lover
(Sometimes the students wrote specific things about themselves, in relation to the program or a particular incident which had transpired)
I don’t like to read because it is boring to me. I can read a certain amount of time and then my eyes get heavy like I’m sleepy. Plus I’m not the best reader in the world, I read a little slow and I don’t have good speech. When I feel like reading I’ll read but if don’t I won’t. Maybe I’ll force myself to do it, but then I still get sleepy. I’m not a lazy person it’s just that reading bores me.
“Why I lied and then told the Truth”
I lied because I had no real honest reason why I came in at 10:45. I would of stayed with my lie but I had this feeling that you wouldn’t have believed me anymore if you had found out. I told the truth because eventually I would have laughed each time that came up because I knew it was a lie. Plus because I didn’t want you to not be able to believe me and trust me.
Why I can’t get to school on time
The reason why I can’t get to school on time is not because I don’t care or nothing or its not that I’m not interested, but I just get carried away in my sleep and dreams and can’t get up on time. I always stay in bed and finis what I begin. (Don’t take it the wrong way. What I meant is if I start a dream I have to finish it.) If I don’t finish it I’ll be in a daze all day wondering how it ended, happy or sad. So if it’s possible I would appreciate it if I can come in at 10:00 or 9:30 and stay in class and do my work until 1:00 without a break.
“Why I think Everyone is in a ‘Nothing’ Mood”
I think everyone is in the type of mood because of the weather. The weather changes me and most people and this past week everything seems to go wrong and everyone has this thing about doing what they want to and just mopping around. Everyone seems to be in a playful non-working mood. In other words ‘aggravating”.
(This next one is especially interesting. I gave my car keys to one of the students and asked him if he would get something out of the car for me. He was gone pretty long. When he got back some of the other students were kidding him about taking my car for a ride. I figured he probably had done it, but I didn’t know. I asked him to write on the topic “Trust”.)
Trust
I think so, because I didn’t go anywhere with your car. You can beliven the lies the girls tells you, but I know. I don’t go anywhere with the car. I take the car to T.S.S. roof and down. Then parked it in the bottom part of the store. Then me and Ed went to eat. With eat in the car for a while, and hear the radio.
(The student handed me what he had written, I said O.K., and we continued with class. Immediately following class, he came over to me, told me he had in fact taken the car for a ride, and he apologized. I thanked him for telling me the truth, congratulated him for having the courage to admit his mistake; we shook hands. The incident was never mentioned again)
Non-assigned Writings
(Sometimes the students submitted things entirely on their own, without any type of assignment having been given. Often these were done during the class, while the rest of the group was into something else.)
The Addict
Addict in the street
No home, no family, no responsibility, no meat,
Addict on the corner
Acting, doing as he wanna,
Addict in your town
Jobless, stealing, and laying around,
Addict not wanted in this world
By woman, man, boy, or girl.
What Would You Do?
You ask me why black people want to fight,
No home, no food, no rights,
You ask me why black people talk so loud,
Well have you ever tried to express yourself in a crowd?
You ask me why black people always steal,
If you were left in the street starved what would you do,
How would you feel,
Now tell me, wouldn’t you steal?
(This next one is rather personal, but the young lady preferred to have it included in the report.)
Caring and Loving
Roger when you read this I expect you to keep it between me and you. And I expect to get extra credit for it too. The reason why I’m telling it to you because I feel I can trust you and I have a lot of faith in you. But the real reason is that if I explain it to someone else they wouldn’t understand it and I think you are a very understanding person. Well it’s like this, I have this so-called problem. I’ll start with love if you read my composition on love you will understand that I don’t care about it. You might think that I’m a kid because I act like one most of the time, but I know I’m woman in more ways than one. And the times I be acting like a child is the only time I have to act like one because other times I be acting like a lady. So don’t think I’m immature because everybody has their childish bags and people always say that I’m very mature for my age, but I’m grown and a fast mover. When I use men in this composition I meaning it in terms of in the mind not in age. Because I feel that I have past the stage for boys and my mind is too mature unless the right boy comes and blows it. Well if you ever notice I do a lot of flirting and a lot of wrapping. And with all the men I pull in if I was selling something I say I make a good 500 in less than a week and if I was just giving I would be the biggest whore around. And out of all the men I have had there’s not one that I loved or really cared about. I don’t care how good they were to me or what they did to me I would just hurt him and throw him aside. It’s got to the point where I can’t even like anymore. For instance this fellow name ( ) I have liked him for exactly 4 weeks and now I don’t care for anymore. I just lost all my feelings for him completely. If theres someone who I begin to like and I be determine to get and when I do get him what do I do but like him 2 or 3 weeks and forget about him. I want somebody to love and care about. I don’t care if they don’t love and care about me, but every time I try to love and care about someone it just doesn’t work.
I’m a very happy person inside and out and I get a lot of attention too much at that. I have everything I want and need with the exception of that someone then why am I not unhappy and lonely. Because most desires that I want, if I can’t get it I be very unhappy but in this case I’m not. And don’t say that I have to give it more time or wait until the right one comes around. But I have waited and the ones came around but I just couldn’t love or care for them like they did for me. I’m not trying to hurry it or nothing but I just want to see how it feels to love somebody. And out of all the fellows I have and flirt with I don’t really enjoy having but yet I’m still flirt and I still have and I’m still happy.
1. What do you think is my problem?
2. Do you think it was made for everybody like it says even me?
3. Or do you think I’m just a jive time girl that doesn’t know what she wants?
4. Could it be that I want to give love and understanding but don’t want to receive?
(The following are some of the submitted reports on poems, short stories, and books.)
Black Voices
The Scarlet Woman by Fenton Johnson
This poem is about a black girl who was clean. Her father worked for the white man and his tips. When he died two days after his insurance expired, there was no money left. This girl had to go to work. She had an education (white), a face that enchanted men both black and white.
Starvation followed her. A lady who kept a whorehouse for the white man came up to her to tell her how she could make her fortune. This girl had changed her life completely. So much she could drink more gin than any man for miles around. She drank gin like it was water. She turned to prostitution to make a living.
But I feel she could have done it not because she wanted to but maybe because she had to make money. Also, maybe she just had a weak mind and was mislead by this woman.
Frank Horne
Born in New York City, he attended the college of the city. Frank Horne is best known fo the poems he wrote in the 1920’s here one of his poems
Nigger (A Chant for children)
Little Black boy
Chased down the street
Nigger, nigger, never die
Black face and shiny eyes,
“Nigger…Niger…Nigger…”
Hannibal…Hannible…
Banging thru the Alps
Licked the proud Romans
Ran home with their scalps
“Nigger…Nigger….Nigger…”
Othello Black Man
Mighty in war
Listen to Iago
Called his wife a whore
“Nigger…Nigger…Nigger…”
Crispus Attucks
Bullet in his chest
Red Blood of Freedom
Running down his vest
“Nigger…Nigger…Nigger…”
Tousant Toussant
Made the French flee
Fought like a demon
Set his people free
“Nigger…Nigger…Nigger…”
Jesus Jesus
Son of the Lord
Spit in his face
Nail him to a board
“Nigger…Nigger…Nigger…”
Little Black Boy
Runs down the street
Nigger, Nigger never die
Black face shiney eye
“Nigger…Nigger…Nigger…”
There’s a little Black running down the street in a white neighborhood. I think the poet is trying to get across that the little boy is considered different from the five other men. All these men are great in history, and this little boy is great too. Because he might be Rafer Johnson for all we know.
Carmen Sanchez
This story is about a girl or woman who is drug addict. She is about 25 years old. She been shot drug for about a year or two or longer. She has a husband and three children. The ways she get money for the drugs are unpresent ways. She would go into the streets and sell her body to men she knows and to men she don’t know. She would to her best girlfriends house and beg the girls husband for the money. And felt he said no she would tell him she would make love to him. She had steady customers she would go to their house on special days and sell her body for dope or money. She would steal for her habit too.
Black Boy
It was a boy named Richard who lived with his mother and father. And they are poor. Richard was a poor boy and he hated his father. One day Rich mother left him and his brother home. Richard was bored to death so he took straws out of the broom and threw them in the firer. Then he took some straws and put them on firer. Richard brother got scare and ran out. Then Rich ran out. And he had forgot that his grandmother was in bed. But someone seen it and ran got the firerman. His uncle and grandpa ran and got his grandmother out the house. Richard hid under the step. His mother was looking for him. Then she spotted him and told him to come out of there. But he was to scare that he would get a beating. Then his father pull him from under the step. His mother beat him so bad that he went unconsciousness and beat the sense out him. He was put to bed screaming. He got worse. Then he got better. One day he said he’s gonna get his father back. A kitten was making noise he couldn’t sleep. His father said kill but he didn’t mean that way. So Richard kill hung it.
Three’s a Crowd
This book is one of those crazy sex novels. It’s about this dude who through the whole book is trying to find out whether he loves sex or wether he loves the girl he is having sex with. To find out he has sex with a dozen girls, that’s quite a bit if you ask me. It’s really amusing the way he questions him self after intercourse did I like this or was it the same with her as the others. As if all he did it for was just to find out things not for pleasure. Artie the main character does not always thing after sex. He also thinks about money he can’t find a job so he cuts grass. He cuts some outrageous lawns in 105 degree weather for a measly 2 dollars. I would never do that he must have been hard up for money. Artie is also a very sensitive guy he got in a big argument with his woman just because she asked him why he was working when his parents were so rich. I wondered that myself. Well he got all upset and wanted to quit her because he thought that she thought he was supposed to live off his parents all his life this was stupid to me at first but, then I understood his point. There isn’t too much story in this novel it is mostly all sex in fact I have never read a sex novel that had very much to say. I expect that now. There was also very poor typing. One thing I couldn’t figure out was the title Three’s A Crowd it didn’t fit the story if you ask me. I am really sorry I wasted my time reading this book.
Nigger by Dick Gregory
This story tells about a little boy who grew up to be depressed almost all of his life. Richard was the name of the boy. Richard was from a poor family, well not really poor but just broke. Richard’s daddy was one of those type of men that we will consider a deserter. He was a street man always hanging out with other Streetman. Big Pres, Richards’ father kept him a woman (whore) always drunk, and was the biggest gambler around. Lucille, Richard’s mother was always working for the rich white folks and in those days black people just couldn’t get no better job. They’re family was on relief even though Richards’ mother worked day in and day out. She couldn’t be home when something happen to one of the kids or when they got ready for school she couldn’t be there to make sure they washed good. They’re clothes were always dirty because there mother just couldn’t lift a finger because she was so tired when she got home from work. But even though she went through this she always kept smiling….
“Hector Rodriguez”
When Hector was eleven he was smoking marijuana, snorting and skinning. According to Hector he was just curious about drugs and how it would effect people and himself. Then he got mixed up more and more with drugs, until he was shooting dope in his veins and he cut smoking marijuana and snorting dope. He get a habit shooting dope and had to find a way to keep it up. So he started selling needles to other dope shooters. After he was selling these things and still shooting he decided to kick using dope, so he went to a drug center call Riverside. But when he got out he started all over again. Doing the same things he was doing before. So he went back to Riverside and tried to kick again. And then again when he got out he started again, but this time he was bad off then he was before. He almost got yellow jaundice twice. Hector O.D. once and his friend had to beat him a little and walk him around. Then one day he got real sick and did not have any dope or money to buy some. So he went to out to steal and he got caught and got out jail on bail. When he was out on bail he did something again and got caught again. He still got out and bail for this too. But this time went straight to Riverside where the police could not touch him. And there this time he kicked for good.
(The same student who did the report on Hector also wrote the next two selections. The first was written in the first week of the program, in response to the question, “What are you thinking about right now?” The second was written about ten weeks later, in response to the question “Why”)
Drugs: I think some drugs are not very dangerous. Like: marijuana this drug is not very harmful, because I have used it myself. I have also skinned potted, snorted, used acid taking pill and other ways of getting high, but I have never mained.
Why?
Why do people take drug? People know drugs are very dangerous and can cause serious damage to the body and death. They also know that there are all kinds of drugs. Some not so dangerous as others. I don’t understand why even if people know drugs are dangerous and deadly they still mess with it. The are some people that go around saying that drugs are not dangerous are crazy. Then there are people who go into the hospital to get more drugs. Some people steal and go to jail just to try to get some drugs. I don’t understand now and I don’t think I ever will understand.
(Student evaluations of the regular high school and our program)
Bad things about Hempstead High School
As long as Hempstead High School has been in existence, there should be a better system of running it. I believe the system should change along with the times. The teachers should know that the attitudes of the students nowadays differ from the attitudes of the students of the 1940’s or 1950’s or even the early part of the 60’s. Speaking racially, there are many more Blacks in the school now then there were before. Because of all the racial movements elsewhere, the faculty, including the principal, should expect disturbances in the school. Hempstead High School isn’t that different from any organization in our times. Also, the faculty should know, or rather some of the faculty should know that “Uncle Toms” would not exist in a predominantly Black school. Because of the age difference they should know this better than we students. Now shouldn’t they?
As far as the conditions of the classroom are concern, they are very lousy. Now, I know that there should be heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. We’re living in the 20th century, not in the George Washington age. The students of Hempstead are not pioneers, they are citizens of the modern times.
The hall guards are also a big pain to me. If you know what I mean.
Improvements can be made very easily. The school board should be more liberal and understanding. They can meet with the parents to get their opinions and with student representation and get their opinions. Everyone knows that two heads are better than one and if that’s true then what can three heads do. This will save everyone money and problems.
Good things about Hempstead High School
I can say this in just a few words – the extracurricular activities.
The Center
I think the Center is a good thing. The reason I know the Center is good, because I learn more at the Center then at the high school. I like the Center because you aren’t force to do anything you didn’t want to do. I think the Center is good for people who want to learn not play around like at the high school. I know what the people at the high school are tries to down us at the Center, but they can kiss my (feet) and good.
I Carolyn Lofton a student of the Education Program believes that our hours are good and we (THE STUDENTS) feel that this is what the school should be like due to the fact that we accomplish far more than at Hempstead High. In this school we not only learn more we also enjoy learning. In Hempstead High we can’t enjoy our work because of the boredom which leads to cutting. Over here we enjoy learning and we don’t want to cut. If we do cut (which we don’t) it’s because we would like to do something that can’t be done at any other time.
OUR teacher teaches us in 4 hours what would take any other teacher who has taught me in 2 days.
I feel we should have the program the way we want it. We learn more than the average student has in Hempstead High School with changing classes. We have classes for four hours straight. We have a lunch period and study or free period just like the students in the high school do. It’s just that our schedule is set different.
The students at the high school cut classes. We don’t cut because what we do is interesting. I think if the teachers at the high school tried to make their class more interesting they wouldn’t have all the cutting they do have at the school….
Hempstead High School
In the past 2 years all interest the students use to have in school has vanished. The reason why in my opinion is that many teachers have lost interest and don’t seem to give a damn. Of course that is not the only reason but it is a main reason. Another reason is that most students who are in academic courses should not be there many students do not want to go to college but are forced buy there parents or guidance counselor this is wrong. This is a big reason for the cutting problem. If the students had subjects more relevant to there lives more interesting I am quite sure there would be less cutting. I think they made a big mistake when they let the students have free study halls. I think this led to more cutting. I really don’t know what can be done about the problems in Hempstead High but I think they have a good chance of getting things together with the new principal. I also think they could make some changes in the faculty.
I am personally very satisfied with this program which I have named the Freedom School Program. It is everything it’s supposed to be. I don’t think that you could change it much more for the better it couldn’t get much better it’s there for the students to benefit from, some do and some don’t if anyone doesn’t pass this course it’s because there ether lazy as hell or they just don’t give a damn. Personally the thing I like best is the freedom you have for instance, you can start writing a composition and get tired an just stop an do something else. Where if you were in regular high school you couldn’t do that. And I know that I can write better when I am in the mood. Also I learn better when I am in the mood. There is only one problem with this and that is some students can get a little out of hand and not want to work at all they give the school a bad name this school is perfect for the student who like to work some of the time. They shouldn’t have students who just want to bullshit. There should be some way of finding the in between students who just can’t make it in high school and wants to learn. An just leave the one who don’t want to learn at all in high school. There’s one thing I think that hindered the project a great deal. At least it bothered me, that is the place we were in at first it was allright, but than it seemed like Mrs. Gray was getting a little annoyed at us being there because a couple of girls called her names and you lost her key she got on me about that. I guess she had reason to get mad though. I guess that was the only thing that really bothered me.
The school that I go to gets a lot of critizen from many people… One big critic is in my own family my brother. He seems to think that all we do here is bullshit all day and no school work. What he doesn’t realize is that our program is made up so you can bullshit when you want to an work when you want. When you think about it it’s better that way because I know that I really don’t learn anything when I am bored just sitting in a class room not even listening. I also learned many things in the program about myself and other people. One very important thing was for the first time in my life I enjoyed going to school. What is more important than that. I tried explaining it to my brother like that but he just couldn’t understand. When I write compositions for this school it really fun for me because for the first time I can really write the way I feel at that time. I would recommend this program for anyone who isn’t doing to well in high school.
My Opinion of Hempstead High
My opinion of Hempstead High isn’t very satisfying so therefore I would like to say some of the bad things about this school. Students are not being taught the way they really should, so we complaining and when that doesn’t do any good we feel that we should riot to get our message across to the faculty. So they fail to see what the big problem is, and naturally that doesn’t do any good and then cutting classes starts because they figure they aren’t being taught the best we should and it is a waste to go to class. So as soon as we start cutting something’s going to be done. So then we start telling the teacher why it’s done. The faculty asks the students what can be done so we say get teachers that will teach us something that will be interesting. We still don’t have the things we want and one thing everyone should want in an education. But nobody will get anywhere by cutting but just losing out in the long run. The teachers are just as bad because all they care is making money and all they ever say is that they got their education already.
Other than all this I still feel Hempstead High is one of the best all-around school. It has one of the better faculties and the students, most of them, at least are together. But you still have to give respect to get respect. Teachers often ask what can be done to make the school a better school. I feel it is the people and what they are taught and how they react to it is what really counts. The atmosphere around them. The moods they are in, etc. The students should just take more pride in their school and stop complaining. They should all cooperate as a body and not as an individual by doing what they want to do. There can be no improvement in the school until there is an improvement in the people themselves, and that means students, faculty, and the administration.
Opinion of Our Program
I think our program is really something considering the hassle we’re gone through to get where we are. The good things about the program is that we learn what we think we are capable of doing or at our level. All of us are together in the class and I think this helps with class participation. The teacher, or just “the head of the group” should be able to get through to his students and we are lucky because we have someone who understands.
But as a group we should all have respect for each other and we should do some kind of work no matter who we are and not take all kinds of advantages. I feel that most of us, including myself, come in late too often and we should correct it.
What are improvements needed in our program? There really isn’t too many improvements needed because I feel we did something this year that should wake people up.
One I do know offhand is that we should speak up more in our class discussions because that really helps us. Like I mentioned before that we should make it to the Ed. Center on time. We should get ourselves a little bit more together. And we can really make it next year if we really try.
June, 1970
NOTE: The ten students ended up passing 38 of the 60 courses; not a great percentage (63%) but seven times better than the 9% they were passing at the high school. Attendance was much improved, and the group’s behavior was excellent. Four of the ten passed all six of their courses; one passed five of six. These five students showed a noticeable change in their self-confidence, demeanor, and motivation. Personally, I think all ten students benefitted from the program – nine for sure; one arguable.
NOTE: We had been told that our program would be a pilot and would be continued and maybe expanded if it was successful. A new principal took over on July 1. I don’t know if he ever took the time to read this report, and he never spoke with any of us. The HHS Freedom School was discontinued without any explanation. RD
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