Griffin Speaks

Be BOLD

In 1964, I was a first grade student at Susan C. Baskerville Elementary School in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. In spite of the passage of the 1964 National Civil Rights Act prohibiting discrimination in public education, my school was still segregated. Full integration would not come until 1970 when I was in the seventh grade.

I remember how our school buildings were identical to the white kid’s school buildings. On the surface it seemed separate but equal. However, I remember the books that we received were used while the white kids received new books. At the time I did not mind that much because the used books often had the answers already written inside from the previous user.

In North Carolina the teachers integrated the schools before the students. They would frequently send the more experienced black teachers to the white schools and send inexperienced white teachers to the black schools. It was an interesting time. Black teachers would come back and tell us the white kids were smarter than we were. When we fully integrated I was shocked to learn that nothing was further from the truth. Believe me I have carried many a white kid through to a passing grade.

All my life I have been bold! I was in the fourth grade when a white teacher told me in front of the class: “Greg Griffin I have heard about you and you will not walk over me in my classroom.” My classmates aware of my refusal to accept anyone dismissing me with the wave of a hand or the shrug of a shoulder began to utter woo sounds. I looked that teacher dead in the eye, waved my hand across the floor and boldly said: “If you lay on that floor I will walk all over you!” The class went crazy with laughter. I was sent to the principal’s office. He was a family friend and nothing really happened. He told my parents about the incident. My dad told him that he would handle it. He handled it well. He told me that I was right to stand up for myself. I have been standing up ever since that day.

In the sixth grade I was the student body president of my school. The following year we integrated. It was a very tense time in the city because everyone was worried that we would not get along with the white kids. The time came for us to elect student council officers. Everyone was certain that the student council president would be white. I decided that I would run for president.

The gymnasium was packed with students, teachers and administrators. You could hear a pin drop as we began our speeches. I was the last speaker. The white kids went to the podium and gave very stoic speeches. The black kids were accustomed to my speaking style and could hardly wait to see how the white kids would react.

The principal introduced me. He said our next candidate for student council president is Greg Griffin. I STOOD UP AND IMMEDIATELY BEGAN MY SPEECH BEFORE I GOT TO THE PODIUM. THIS IS AN EXCERPT FROM THAT SPEECH: (SPEAKING IN THE TONE OF A COUNTRY BLACK BAPTIST PREACHER)

“I HAVE A DREAM THAT ONE DAY STUDENTS WILL NOT BE JUDGED BY THE GRADES ON THEIR REPORT CARDS, BUT BY THE CONTENT OF THEIR CHARACTER! I HAVE A DREAM THAT ONE DAY STUDENTS AT J. W. PARKER JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL WILL BE ABLE TO CHEW GUM IN CLASS WITHOUT FEAR OF DETENTION! I HAVE A DREAM TODAY! I started dancing and sliding around like James Brown. I cut a split and went back to my seat. There was not a dry eye in the gym. Even the principal was bent over with laughter falling on the floor. I WON BY A LANDSLIDE! The ice had been broken.

When you are bold people will often call you crazy until you become a success; then they will call you a genius! BE BOLD!

GREG GRIFFIN IS A FREE LANCE WRITER. YOU CAN READ HIS PREVIOUS ARTICLES BY LOGGING ON TO HIS WEB PAGE AT WWW.GREGGRIFFIN.COM