"The Grimsley apology" : Thinking Out Loud : Blogs : News-Record.com : Greensboro, North Carolina

The Grimsley apology

A caller questioned this week why the News & Record keeps fomenting racial discord by rehashing old news and reopening old wounds.

Her latest case in point: the story that Grimsley High School plans to apologize to the school's first black student, who was subjected to racial slurs and ostracism when she enrolled in what was then named Greensboro Senior High School during the 1957-58 school year.

Added a letter writer: "You and your newspaper are doing a terrible harm to a city that was once a great city in North Carolina. You seem to delight in race-baiting and stirring up trouble between the races. Why? Why are you bringing up things that happened 40 years ago?"

Come again?

But we only reported this news. We didn't make it.

Further, the caller noted that the people who turned a cold shoulder toward Josephine Boyd (now Josephine Boyd Bradley) aren't here anymore. That's not true.

At least some of them are, including Judith Abraham, a member of the Class of 1958 who plans to be on hand when Boyd-Bradley is honored at a City Council meeting on March 30 and 31.

This was the school's and the city's idea, not ours, although it's a positive gesture. We learn from our mistakes, and there is more than symbolic value in acknowledging that our community is a better, more enlightened place than it was then.

We also editorialized that some of the students who actually attended Grimsley at the time might have something to say to Bradley, who also will receive the key to the city.

This was not that long ago. Many of these folks are still around.

At least one of them plans to attend when the City Council honors Bradley.

Judith Abraham, Greensboro Senior Class of '58 says she looks forward to standing and applauding.

"I've had a vision of all the people -- all of us who were good to her and all of us who were nasty and now feel badly -- would stand up and applaud when she speaks. The thought of that brings a tear to my eye."

Abraham says she admires Bradley. "What guts, what nerve, what spirit. It was tough enough for me then being a Jewish girl at the time."

Unlike some other historical occurrences, this one is recent enough that many of the participants are still here. It'd be good to hear others' reflections about that time.

As for when Bradley comes home to Greensboro, she might be disappointed to learn that we're still fussing like cats and dogs about who gets to go to which school.

Posted by Allen Johnson on February 28, 2006 9:45 AM | Permalink

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The Grimsley apology

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