2A
THE NEWS-JOURNAL
Raeford, N.C.
Eebruary 5, 2014
Viewpoints
Class of ’69 was Hoke High’s first integrated
For those of us who were alive
when JFK was assassinated, we
have recently relived the moments
50 years ago when we received the
news of the shooting. I was sitting in
English class in the Raeford school
building later renamed for James
Turlington. That’s an easy one, but
where were you 45 years ago? I was
entering the home stretch of my
senior year in high school at Floke
High. With one semester left, I was
enjoying the ride until graduation in
the spring of 1969. Barring disaster,
I would graduate and be accepted to
the Big S School of Engineering,
although I didn’t even know what
engineering was. Life lay before me
with more questions than answers,
but I accepted the challenge.
Our graduating class at Hoke
High was facing challenges seen
by none before. After eleven years
of mostly segregated schools, we
had been thmst into the age of
integration in our senior year. Our
senior class ballooned as our mostly
white class merged with the black
and Native American students. The
original campus expanded across
Bethel Road, annexing the newly
built school adjacent to where Raz
Autry Stadium now stands.
Although most of us had had
limited dealings with people of other
races, this was totally different. We
were now peers, walking the same
halls, taking the same classes and
sharing the same space. All races
were apprehensive as we began our
cohabitation. Looks of defiance,
fear and mistmst beamed unpro
voked from the faces of strangers.
There were those in Hoke County
who believed that this was terribly
wrong and that disaster was around
Frog Holler
Philosopher
Ron Huff
the comer.
It was not!
I have spoken of my friend Raz
Autry on several occasions. He had
been principal at Hoke High for only
one year at that time but had firmly
estabhshed the mles of the school.
These mles were tough but fair. Raz
went on to become superintendent
of Hoke Schools and a respected
community servant and leader, but
my senior year in high school was
perhaps his finest hour.
I had been elected president of the
student body the previous year, as
had Vemice Thomas from Upchurch
and Larry Jacobs from Hawkeye.
We became co-presidents, equal
in all respects. Similarly, all Hoke
High students were treated equally
by the administration. I do not
remember one incident in which a
student complained that they were
being treated unfairly because of
race. All the males were treated
equally “unfairly” when it came to
keeping our hair cut short. It is as if
Raz clipped our potential aggression
along with our hair. There were
certainly some misunderstandings
based on our racial ignorance and
the misinformation we had all been
raised with, but there was never a
serious incidentthat entire year. This
was the triumph of the Class of ’69.
Unfortrmately, I did not even
meet all my classmates that year.
Life kept speeding us along our
individual paths and those paths did
not include many of our newfound
classmates. This unfamiharity has
been the burden of the Class of ’69.
Classes before had a solidarity
that we did not have time to de
velop. Classes after had more time
to assimilate their members with
each passing year. We have had
some difficulty coming together
for reunions over the years, but we
have persevered, and many of us
have developed closer friendships
as the years have passed. Our class
has estabhshed a scholarship fund,
which has awarded scholarships in
recent years and will continue to
do so. We strive to remember our
classmates who pass away with
cards and flowers. We also try to
communicate significant events
affecting the class through email. If
you are aclass member, we urge you
to contact us if you are not already
on our list.
We are currently working on our
next big event, which will be our
forty-fifth reunion! It will be held
at the Ocean Reef Resort at Myrtle
Beach October 10 through 12 of
next year. Letters are being sent out
to all members for whom we have
correct information. If you are a
member or know someone who is,
please let them know of our efforts.
Interested people can contact me
at 910-237-7873 or ronhuff@hh-
homes.com. You may also contact
our hardworkingleader,Pat Graham,
at 910-875-4035 or at pgraham®
hokecounty.org.
We will dedicate this reunion
to Raz Autry who led us through
perilous waters safely to graduation.
I would love to see every classmate
at the reunion.
More later.
We Get Letters
The lawyer says new store is good so it must be hue
5 Things
Every young person
should know
Weekly Wisdom From Readers Of The News-Journal For Ihe Youth In Our Community.
What are five life lessons
you’ve learned that you think
all young people should know?
That’s the question The News-
Journal put to a list of respected
local adults. The answers come
from all walks of life. We want to
pass on to our youth the wisdom
of our community, a few lessons
at a time. Here are five:
waste your college education - do
some research about career trends
and choose a field you think you
would like to pursue that has op
portunities for growth, and then
choose an appropriate degree for
that field, so you can find a career
after college. It is no guarantee that
you will get a job, but it greatly
improves your odds.
prematurely (wrinkles), causes
your clothes to stink (not the
most appealing trait) and they
are expensive! Save your money
for things other than something
that has nothing but bad conse
quences ! Once you start smoking,
it is extremely hard to stop (ask
anyone who smokes/has ever
smoked), so the best strategy is
to never start!
To the Editor:
Who are those nice people
on the Board of Commissioners
that, despite concerns about the
environment, traffic or increase in
crime, approve to have yet another
gas station built on Wayside Road?
A lawyer said that there will
be no harm to the environment,
the road will not be congested
more and, of course, the key thing,
money will stay in Hoke County.
Well, if the lawyer say s so, it must
be true! After all, a lawyer that gets
paid by the people that want to
build the gas station is the expert!
Most of us know that the road is
heavily used by military personnel
going to work and coming back
home. A gas station that is used
that heavily has the habit of back
ing up traffic because drivers must
wait in line to get to the pump, so
I personally do not think that a gas
station is helping to free up traffic.
As far as for the crime concerns...
nothing is better than a gas station
in a heavily residential area—bet
ter places to hide if a crime were
to be committed, such as theft.
Environmental issues? Of course
not, because Mr. Lawyer said so.
Many people tell me that all of
this is called progress and Hoke
County needs the money and jobs.
So I hope this gas station is the
cash cow the commissioners are
hoping for. If not for the county, it
is for the owners for sure. Usually,
after a while, a bigger company
comes and makes a good offer and
buys the gas station up anyway.
Personally, I always wondered
what I would do if I won the lot
tery. After paying my bills off and
making sure kids have enough
money for education, I would
like to buy up parcels of land
around here. Not to build but to
preserve... only that would hinder
“progress” here in Hoke County,
wouldn’t it? So maybe a nice park
then? Too many already? Maybe a
nice indoor farmers market would
do the trick? Naaa, who eats and
can afford all that green stuff?
Something bigger then, some
thing that attracts people from the
surrounding areas like a Trader
Joe’s or Whole Foods? After all:
If you build it, they will come! So
I wonder what the commissioners
are doing to attract people like that
or is that even their job? In any
case, I know for sure I could buy
land, clear cut it and build another
gas station, make profit and then
sell it to somebody else. Then I
take the money and move away
from here.... to a place where it is
nicer, greener, has less crime and
fewer environmental issues. We
could call that progress—personal
progress or maybe greed?
Claudia Jones
1.) Take advantage of your
college education. When I went
to college, it never crossed my
mind that if I didn’t find a job,
I would go back to live with my
parents. These days it is an all
too common occurrence among
young people to assume that their
parents should foot their bills
again after college. Fortunately,
my children were not in that cat
egory and both found their way to
a career, but I know many parents
who still have graduates living at
home because they were unable
to use their college degree. Don’t
2.) Abide by the golden rule.
Do unto others as you would have
them do unto you. You never know
what someone may be experienc
ing in life. You can get to know
someone but don’t let them talk
you into something you should
not do. This allows them to take
control and own you. Look after
those in need and put others first.
You will be rewarded.
4.) If you have trouble getting
things done, make a list. Include
on your list small tasks that are
quick and easy to accomplish,
and check them off when they
are done. Making those check
marks is a great motivator. One
accomplishment fuels the next.
Grateful for treatment by deputies during funeral
3.) Don’t start smoking! Not
only does smoking have MANY
health consequences, but it’s
GROSS! It causes you to age
5.) Commit yourself to being
a person of character; that is pos
sessing integrity, trustworthiness,
and competence. Strong character
will sustain you during times of
both adversity and success.
To the Editor:
As I reflect in my mind on my
hometown and entering into a new
year, I know that now is the time
to pen what has been in my heart
for a while.
There are so many good things
about Hoke County and Raeford.
Like all the components that make
up community and the caring people
that function in those areas.
I believe when a task is done in
excellence that it is worthy of recog
nition. You might remember in 2010
our family had two of my sisters to
pass five months apart. In 2011 my
Dad passed and four months later
into 2012 my Mother passed. It was
a really trying and devastating time
for us. Nevertheless, the assistance
from the Hoke County Sheriff’s
Office was outstandingly helpful,
and a gracious sight to see. Some
might say, “Oh, they’re just doing
their job” and yes that is tme, but
it’s how you do the job that makes
the difference. Every one of the
deputies showed dignity, respect.
concern, and definitely presence in
the moment. We knew that we were
in capable hands on the highways to
transport our processions.
I along with all of my family take
this opportunity to salute Sheriff
Peterkin and all the deputies under
his command for the outstanding
excellence of performance shown
to our family during our difficult
and long period of bereavement.
Certainly, Hoke has one of the best
in the state.
Regina McPhatter Carpenter
TODAY’S HOMEWORK (Notes on Education) City’s good deed in the snow was good job
""In fact, I have in every country visited, been generally struck by the
attitude of that country's general population toward the position of
the teacher and the high level of respect that other countries have
for teachers. When parents and the public at large respond to teach
ers with high levels of respect and trust, it filters into the fabric of
the family and permeates the attitudes of the children. In the Pacific
Rim countries particularly, it is the parent's responsibility that his/her
child does well in school and if the child does not perform or behave
well it brings dishonor to the family. Education in most countries vis
ited by the Forum's International Studies Program is viewed by all of
society as the key to a successful life as an adult. And it becomes a
part of the fabric of policy decisions at all levels of government."
— Jo Ann Norris, executive director of The Public School Forum, writ
ing about a tour of countries with exceptional educational performance
To the Editor:
A couple of days ago—right
after it had snowed— I happened
to be looking out of the bedroom
window, watching the birds and
squirrels eat the food I had put
out for them. The sidewalks had
been shoveled clean by Diane so
that neither one of us would slip
and slide when we go out. As I was
watching the wildlife, a Raeford
city truck pulled up out front. I
wondered what they could be up to
at about 8 in the morning? One guy
got out and walked back to about
where our mailbox is located—
there is a manhole cover there as
well— I figured they must be fixing
to work on the manhole cover or
something. He walked back to the
truck and came back with a bucket
full of something. Then I saw what
he was doing. The space between
where our sidewalk ends and the
pavement begins is about 5 feet.
There were scooter tracks in the
snow from where I had gone the
day before and gotten the mail.
This city worker quickly and qui
etly salted down the two paths in
the snow that I had traveled... one
going out and one coming back
from the mailbox. No one asked
the city to do it—not even sure if
THEY know about it. You really
had to be paying attention to even
notice the tracks. To whomever
you are - THANK YOU! I wish
our good city had more thoughtful
people like you!
Steven Gibbs
Patterson Street, Raeford
"The reformers offer no caps on charter schools. Unlimited, unfettered
free market chain charters will flood our inner cities like liquor stores
and fast food Joints. Some will be good schools; many will be fly-by-
night operations. In fact, many charters nationwide already are fly-by-
night operations, even in states that have charter limits that are sup
posed to ensure charter quality. Removal of the cap will guarantee a
proliferation of substandard schools that attempt to attain quality rat
ings by skimming the 'strivers' from the inner city and test-prepping
them to pseudo-educational excellence."
— Jake Matthews —"The Anti-equality Movement"
/
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