About
INTRO. Co edited by T-Bone.
Growing up in a predominately white area of Moline, IL I definitely felt something was wrong or odd. In my grade school I was often 1 of 4 or 6 African Americans in a school of 300 K thru 6 students. Most of the 4 or 6 were sibling groups who went to the same school. Of those sibling groups, we often knew each other from our parents knowing or working together, and in some cases, we lived on the same block or in the same neighborhood.
In gym class or before and after school we were often picked 1st because others saw us as taller, faster, stronger, or more coordinated than the other white kids. Teachers often pushed us to play sports and compete against other schools or other classes for the teacher to be a winner. Mr. Brown in the 5/6th grade encouraged me to go out for track, and taught me volleyball and 4 square. Both sports that helped me with basketball. He coached after school sports and liked to go to different schools and win by having an athletic, tall team of African Americans
Growing up in a predominately white area of Moline, IL I definitely felt something was wrong or odd. In my grade school I was often 1 of 4 or 6 African Americans in a school of 300 K thru 6 students. Most of the 4 or 6 were sibling groups who went to the same school. Of those sibling groups, we often knew each other from our parents knowing or working together, and in some cases, we lived on the same block or in the same neighborhood.
In gym class or before and after school we were often picked 1st because others saw us as taller, faster, stronger, or more coordinated than the other white kids. Teachers often pushed us to play sports and compete against other schools or other classes for the teacher to be a winner. Mr. Brown in the 5/6th grade encouraged me to go out for track, and taught me volleyball and 4 square. Both sports that helped me with basketball. He coached after school sports and liked to go to different schools and win by having an athletic, tall team of African Americans