What a ball we had at our 40th Atlantic City High School class reunion!
DJ MrKream (Aaron Washington) made it happen, as every time he played another tune, someone in the crowd yelled, “Oh, I loved this! This was my favorite song! Oh, no, he didn’t!”
Then, folks would jump up on the dance floor. He must have the best collection of Earth, Wind and Fire hits of any area DJ.
As usual, the food at the Atlantic City Country Club was very good, and I loved the wide variety of mini desserts displayed later in the evening. Before, during and after dinner, our Mistress of Ceremonies, Linda Holmes-Reaves, led us in prayer, introduced speakers, joked and thanked committee members for their tireless help.
This year, Linda asked me to open the reunion with a short welcome and I decided to share my book journey with the audience, admonishing everyone at the end, “If you still have dreams you want to pursue, don’t think it’s too late.”
John Grossman, who was academically No. 1 in our class, followed me, and I think we all expected him to deliver a longer speech. The soft-spoken Grossman, however, had not changed. He simply said that he was glad to see everybody and told us that he wasn’t allowed to speak at our graduation, because his “hair was too long.”
That alone was enough to remind me of the historic times we grew up in — the 1970s. The memories came flooding back and I turned to the last chapter of my book (parts of which are excerpted here).
I don’t know if I had ever considered running for class president, but in the fall of 1971, I decided to do just that. If I couldn’t make change happen among the adults in Atlantic City, I knew I could make a difference at school. There had been too many years of racial and political strife in our city. Maybe I could become our high school’s first black female class president. It was such an exciting time to be black and female. Even some of my Black Student Union brothers thought that I had become too much of a feminist, but they still supported my run for class president.
Right away, we began hanging posters all over the school, ones that reflected progress and social justice for all students. The team we assembled was one we thought would bring unity to our school --- four whites, one Jewish boy, one Jewish girl, three girls, one black, me.
The competition was fierce and the speeches moving, though I wasn’t sure if I could get enough votes from the white students to win the position. After all, we were returning that fall from some very tumultuous years. As we waited in the school’s auditorium to hear the final count, I paced the floor at the back, my palms sweating, my heartbeat speeding.
I thought about how, as a young girl, I had said I wanted to be the first woman president of the United State, and at that moment, you might have thought that was the result I was waiting to hear. Anxious students had gathered in the auditorium awaiting the last few voters and the final count. Senior class advisors stayed around to ensure compliance with all the rules.
When Mr. Faunce, our principal, announced the results of the race, a great roar went up in the auditorium and students flooded out into the hallways spreading the news before it was even announced on the intercom. I stood paralyzed against the black wall.
“We did it! We did it!” Joel, my vice president, yelled, jumping his full height into the air and returning to give me a big hug. “We did it!” He yelled again, lifting me high into the air.
“Yes, we did,” smiled Rosary in her quiet way.
Eventually, both young men fell in love with skateboarding and wanted to pass it on as a way of giving back to their community.
After being away for a couple of weeks, I had to make a trip to our Boardwalk, for inevitably, this time of year brings a hint of sadness to those of us who love all things summer.
If the Eagles don’t improve on their 8-8 slate of 2011, or fail to make the playoffs for a second straight year, head coach Andy Reid will likely not return for a 15th season.
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1. valeria marcus said... on Sep 17, 2012 at 05:17PM
“Excellent article from one of my old friends and classmates, However, I am against both parties at this moment and time. And I am registered as an Independent and feel we need a third party on the ticket to make the candiates really work for all people, especailly the poor.
I always knew in my youth we would have a Black President, so it never surprised me. However, there is no real change with half of Clinton's old cabinet in the WH and Clinton as one of his top advisers behind close doors. I am applauded that the Democrats had the house and senate and did nothing but bail out the banks and car dealerships and did not do more for the working people. I am sick and tired of leaders who only help their selves, family and friends and the cryonism in government makes me more angry. Therefore, my vote is up in the air, by the way I a delegate for Pres in 08 and the games the democrats party play at the conventions, caucus blew me away. It's politics as usual folks, Pres. BHO is not the Messiah, he cannot work miracles and he continues to ignore Israel, the nation which the whole universe evolves around, not the USA. Did I forget, Rahm Emmanuel's brother was paid to write the health bill, 2,500 pages which no one read, talk about cryonism again. I am disgusted with politics which I find to be satanic and only about the 1% percenters,whom Pres and Mitt are both privy too!”
2. Victoria Goddard-Truitt said... on Sep 17, 2012 at 05:21PM
“A very enjoyable read. I think I missed a good party!”
3. Anonymous said... on Sep 18, 2012 at 08:25AM
“To Valeria - were you an Independent when Bush was running our country into the ground? When he left the "poor" people in New Orleans to fend for themselves? Why is it that "our" people don't support "our" and tend to look for all the flaws? Why would you compare the President to the Messiah? If you were to look closer at his record he's brought the country back from failing, accomplished healthcare reform, and a host of other accomplishments that I as a Black Person am proud of!”