Attached is a copy of a letter written by MaryLu Hunter Duffy regarding this Epic Hillcrest Alumni project. This letter is exactly how I wish our media coverage could have been written rather than interjecting the race card. Please feel free to share and comment! We continue to challenge the other schools to get involved! After expressing my regret at missing out on seeing the “very best people I’ve ever known,” I found out about the push and commitment of the world’s most awesome alumni to step in and help the current Hillcrest students and faculty. To say how struck I am at the support and grand plans, now in the works, would only be a shadow of my thoughts, feelings, and emotions regarding this most ambitious project. In 1974, bussing sent us into the diaspora of far-flung school start-ups, a white-flight from Whitehaven, and an abandonment of our childhood we thought we’d never recover or revisit. But, we were wrong. Now, after 40 years, give or take five years or so, here we are, about to teach those coming behind us the meaning of community. The meaning of what we celebrate at every reunion and get-together. Our traditions of excellence were carefully taught and instilled in us by the faculty and administration of our youth, as well as parents and churches. Things are different today. Tougher, I think. Many, if not most of us grew up in homes where Dad worked, and Mom was home with milk and cookies after school. It was a Leave It To Beaver world back then. Life was simpler, easier, and much calmer in those days. The guys carried rifles or shotguns in the racks in their pickups because they often went hunting before and after school. I can still name several who did so regularly. No one thought anything of it. When it was hot, fishing rods and crickets replaced the guns. Things are different today. In 1974, in Memphis, there were only a hand full of “middle class” black families. The concept had not yet dawned in our consciousness. But, as more and more black families moved to Whitehaven, in search of the same things our parents were searching for, the idea began to grow. As we graduated, in many cases, empty nest caused many to leave the area. But, at the same time, funny, popular sit-coms helped us gel the notion that once was so alien in the segregated South. Things are different today. When we left Hillcrest, Meathead was shooting Archie Bunker down weekly, Bill Cosby left us laughing, and George Benson helped us “identify.” It was the advent of the Middle Class Black Family. They needed to catch up, and so they did! They moved nearly 100 years worth of development in only 40 years or so. I think this is a truly remarkable achievement. And while it’s true, it wasn’t done in a vacuum, they have, nevertheless, “arrived.” But then, look what happened. The Community role models dried up. Many, if not most, households must depend on two working parents and incomes, latch-key kids became the norm, extra-curricular activities fell by the way-side, and the high school drop-out rate soared. We were gone— there was no one left to show the way to “community.” No one was left to help support and nurture the kids of parents who came after us looking for the same things our parents sought. Homogeny never had a chance in the changing environments. And it was changing fast. White European descendants are, by nature, explorers. I think it might be in our DNA, but historically, that is not the case for African descents, nor for Caribbean descents. But, Things are different today. For one very fortunate high school, the Vikings have returned to light the paths and teach the traditions to a new generation of eager-to-learn explorers. The most extraordinary people I’ve ever known are stepping into the lives of people who need us the most— the ones who came after us. The ones who need structure, stability, and know-how. Most especially, know-how! Oh, they need the basics too… pens, pencils, notebooks, paper, rulers, calculators, and I intend to drop off a box load of this stuff when I get up there next month. Our middle class black families and students need us. A Bic pen is no longer 19 cents, but a couple of packages of them won’t break my bank, nor yours either! The ambitious plans for these students carry enormous payoffs for our high school legacy, and the power to affect change (REAL CHANGE for the good of the Community, the city, and the country.) I hope everyone will think long and hard about the things Hillcrest gave us — Take a hard look at how far we’ve come! It wasn’t easy for us, but we at least had the tools we needed to succeed— we knew how to network, and build a community around us. These kids need and deserve to learn the same lessons because, THINGS ARE DIFFERENT TODAY. I hope you’ll join me in supporting this endeavor. Sincerely, Mary Lu Hunter Duffy April 5, 2014 Fairhope, AL
Posted on: Sun, 06 Apr 2014 04:30:27 +0000
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