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[Legacy Neighborhood Event on February 12, 2026.]
AND GET STARTED.WELCOME AND HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH, EVERYONE.
UM, I WORK FOR THE CITY OF MCKINNEY IN THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE.
UM, AND I JUST WANNA START BY TONIGHT.
THAT'S START OUT TONIGHT BY SAYING IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE WITH YOU ALL TONIGHT IN CELEBRATION OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
AND I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US, UM, OUR EVENING.
I WANNA GIVE YOU A, A LITTLE BIT BACKGROUND OF WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT THIS EVENING.
UM, WE'RE GONNA BEGIN WITH A BRIEF PRESENTATION ABOUT THE LEGACY NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE UNDERTOLD MCKINNEY PROJECT AND THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE UNDERTOLD MCKINNEY PROJECT TO HONOR AND PRESERVE THE LEGACY NEIGHBORHOODS OF EAST MCKINNEY.
AND THEN WE'LL FOLLOW THAT BY A 10 MINUTE INTERMISSION, SO EVERYONE CAN GO TO THE BATHROOM AND GRAB A BOTTLE OF WATER, UM, WHILE SUPPLIES LAST.
UM, AND THEN WE WILL HAVE A PANEL DISCUSSION MODERATED BY BETH BENTLEY OF THE LEGACY KEEPERS ORGANIZATION, AND THE PANEL WILL FEATURE LIVING LEGACIES OF EAST MCKINNEY AND THEIR LOVED ONES.
THEN WE WILL END THE NIGHT WITH A SONG LED BY MR. CARRIE MADISON.
SO, WHILE I WILL SPEND A FEW MINUTES PROVIDING HISTORICAL CONTEXT, THE HEART OF THIS EVENING IS REALLY ABOUT HEARING DIRECTLY FROM OUR PANELISTS AND THEIR PERSONAL STORIES.
ALL RIGHT, SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO.
WHEN THE FIRST SETTLERS ARRIVED IN COLLIN COUNTY WITH THE THROCKMORTON WAGON TRAIN.
THESE SETTLERS ARRIVED WITH ENSLAVED AFRICAN AMERICANS IN TOW MAKING THESE PEOPLE THE FIRST BLACK RESIDENTS OF COLLIN COUNTY.
IN 1845, THE PREVIOUSLY INDEPENDENT REPUBLIC OF TEXAS JOINED THE UNION AS A SLAVE STATE.
AND THREE YEARS LATER, IN 1848, THE THEN TINY TOWN OF MCKINNEY WAS OFFICIALLY INCORPORATED AND NAMED THE COUNTY SEAT OF COLLIN COUNTY.
BY 1862, THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION HAD FREED ALL ENSLAVED PEOPLE IN THE US.
ALTHOUGH BLACK AMERICANS IN TEXAS DIDN'T RECEIVE WORD UNTIL THREE YEARS LATER ON JUNE 19TH, 1865, AN OCCASION WE NOW KNOW AND CELEBRATE AS JUNETEENTH.
DESPITE HAVING BEEN DECLARED FREE IN 1862, THE COLLIN COUNTY TAX RECORDS OF 1864 INDICATE THAT MORE THAN 1500 ENSLAVED AMERICANS LIVED IN COLLIN COUNTY.
AT THAT TIME, THAT WAS A WHOPPING 12% OF THE TOTAL POPULATION.
OF COURSE, BY JUNE, 1865, NEWS OF THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION FINALLY REACHED TEXAS.
AND ALL THOSE FORMERLY ENSLAVED IN COLLIN COUNTY WERE LEGALLY FREE.
HOWEVER, JIM CROW LAWS WERE QUICKLY IMPLEMENTED TO RESTRICT THE CIVIL RIGHTS OF BLACK AMERICANS THROUGH FORCED SEGREGATION AND LIMITED ACCESS TO SERVICES THAT WOULD BUILD EDUCATION, WEALTH, AND COMMUNITY.
DESPITE THE OVERWHELM OF RESTRICTIVE LAWS, INTIMIDATION, AND VIOLENCE, BLACK PEOPLE ACROSS COLLIN COUNTY WORKED TOGETHER TO CARVE OUT THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES AND EXERCISE THEIR HARD WON RIGHTS AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN EIGHTEEN SIXTY SEVEN, TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY SEVEN BLACK MEN, THE MAJORITY OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS IN THAT IN THE COUNTY AT THAT TIME HAD REGISTERED TO VOTE FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.
AFTER THE END OF LEGALIZED SLAVERY IN 1865, BLACK AMERICANS WERE PUSHED TO SOCIETY'S MARGINS THROUGH THE ENFORCEMENT OF THOSE JIM CROW LAWS.
SEGREGATION REQUIRED THAT COMMUNITIES OF COLOR LIVE SEPARATELY FROM WHITE NEIGHBORHOODS.
SEPARATE BY EQUAL WAS THE DOMINATING RULE, AND COMMUNITIES OF FREED AFRICAN AMERICANS WOULD HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER TO PROVIDE THE NECESSITIES FOR EVERYDAY LIFE.
CHURCHES, SCHOOLS, AND BUSINESSES WOULD HAVE TO BE BUILT FROM SCRATCH.
THIS WAS NO DIFFERENT IN MCKINNEY, WHERE THE BLACK COMMUNITY HAS HISTORICALLY LIVED ACROSS SEVEN NEIGHBORHOODS NEAR THE HISTORIC SQUARE.
OF THOSE SEVEN, FIVE WERE LOCATED ENTIRELY EAST OF HIGHWAY FIVE.
AND TODAY THEY MAKE UP WHAT WE CALL THE LEGACY NEIGHBORHOODS OF EAST MCKINNEY.
THE OTHER TWO NEIGHBORHOODS THAT YOU'LL SEE ON THIS MAP, CENTRAL AND THE RUN NO LONGER RESEMBLE THE BLACK COMMUNITIES THEY ONCE WERE.
ALTHOUGH THE PHYSICAL FOOTPRINT REMAINS, THESE NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE DRASTICALLY CHANGED OVER THE YEARS.
THE RUN SHOWN IN YELLOW ON THE MAP IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN MCKINNEY'S OLDEST BLACK NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE ONLY ONE WITHIN THE CITY'S ORIGINAL 1849 BOUNDARIES.
MARK BAPTIST CHURCH FOUNDED IN 1886.
MARK FIRST MET UNDER A BRUSH ARBOR, AND DURING THE HEAT OF TEXAS SUMMERS AND THE CHILL OF THE WINTERS TO WORSHIP TOGETHER OUTSIDE ST.
MARK'S VERY FIRST PHYSICAL CHURCH WAS CONSTRUCTED AT 5 0 7 TITUS STREET IN THE RUN WHERE IT SERVED THE NEIGHBORS, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S RESIDENTS.
MARK REMAINS ONE OF THE CITY'S OLDEST BLACK CONGREGATIONS TODAY, NOW LED BY PASTOR CHARLES WATLEY AND IS LOCATED AT ELM IN HIGHWAY FIVE IN THE WILCOX NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THE WILCOX NEIGHBORHOOD IS THE ONE OUTLINED IN PINK.
UM, THE RUN ONCE SUPPORTED COMMUNITY GARDENS AND SEVERAL BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES, INCLUDING A RESTAURANT AND BEAUTY SALON.
FINCH PARK WAS A COMMON GATHERING PLACE FOR EVENTS IN JUNETEENTH
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CELEBRATIONS.AND THE 1920S, THE NEIGHBORHOOD WAS ALSO HOME TO THE UNITED BROTHERHOOD OF FRIENDSHIP AND THE SISTERS OF THE MYSTERIOUS TIN, WHICH WAS A BLACK BENE BENEVOLENT SOCIETY.
SADLY, BY THE LATE 1930S, MANY FAMILIES IN THE RUN WERE PAID TO RELOCATE TO MAKE SPACE FOR THE MCKINNEY GARDEN CLUB'S RED BUD TRAIL.
TODAY ONLY THE BROWN NEIGHBORHOOD SIGN TOPPERS MARK, WHERE THE RUN ONCE STOOD, CENTRAL NEIGHBORHOOD HIGHLIGHTED IN RED ON THIS MAP WAS LOCATED JUST EAST OF LEWISVILLE AND LAY PARTLY WITHIN THE ORIGINAL 1849 CITY LIMIT.
IT INCLUDED PART OF THE OLD FAIRGROUNDS, WHICH WERE USED BY ALL MCKINNEY RESIDENTS AS AN EVENT VENUE UNTIL FINCH PARK WAS BUILT IN 1911.
JUNETEENTH CELEBRATIONS WERE HELD AT THE FAIRGROUNDS UNTIL THE EARLY 19 HUNDREDS, AS WELL AS BASEBALL GAMES FROM THE TEXAS NEGRO LEAGUES ST.
ONE OF MCKINNEY'S OLDEST BLACK CONGREGATIONS WAS LOCATED IN THE CENTRAL NEIGHBORHOOD AT WATT AND MCDONALD, WHERE IT STILL STANDS TODAY, CENTRAL HAS ALSO HAD SEVERAL BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES, INCLUDING A MULTI-USE BUILDING THAT HOUSED A MORTUARY BEAUTY PARLOR, CAFE, DENTIST, AND MEETING SPACES FOR THE LOCAL FREEMASONS AND ODDFELLOWS CHAPTERS.
VERY INTERESTING THINGS GOING ON IN THAT BUILDING.
UM, FINALLY, I WANT TO MENTION LIVELY HILL, WHICH IS THE NEIGHBORHOOD OUTLINED IN GREEN ON THE MAP, UM, WHICH SAT NEAR THE SOUTHEASTERN CORNER OF THE LEWISVILLE NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT'S BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN NAMED AFTER GRANVILLE LIVELY, WHO WAS A BLACK UNION VETERAN AND BUSINESSMAN WHO LIVED IN MCKINNEY.
STARTING AROUND 1910, THE AREA BECAME HOME TO MANY MEXICAN AMERICAN FAMILIES THAT WERE IMMIGRATING TO THE AREA AND IS NOW COMMONLY KNOWN AS LOMA OR THE HILL IN SPANISH.
ALL OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS SHOWN ON THIS MAP REPRESENT AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF MCKINNEY'S HISTORY WHEN OUR BLACK AND BROWN NEIGHBORS WERE PUSHED OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS AND MADE TO CREATE THEIR OWN OPPORTUNITIES.
I'D LIKE TO TELL YOU ABOUT ONE SUCH EXAMPLE, WHICH IS THE STORY OF BLACK EDUCATION IN MCKINNEY, AND HOW THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY WORKED TOGETHER OVER GENERATIONS TO CREATE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT RIVALED AND EVEN SURPASSED THOSE OF THE ALL WHITE SCHOOLS.
SO OUR STORY BEGINS WITH A MAN NAMED REVEREND JACOB CHAMBERLAIN.
REVEREND CHAMBERLAIN WAS BORN INTO SLAVERY IN GRANGER COUNTY, TENNESSEE IN 1798.
HE PREACHED GOSPEL FOR 75 YEARS AS A BAPTIST MINISTER AND DIED IN MCKINNEY, A FREE PROPERTY OWNING MAN AT THE AGE 107.
HE WAS ORIGINALLY BROUGHT TO TEXAS BY HIS FORMER ENSLAVERS BEFORE BEING PURCHASED BY A PROMINENT MCKINNEY FAMILY FOR A SUM OF $400.
WHEN HIS ENSLAVERS LEFT MCKINNEY TO FIGHT FOR THE CONFEDERACY AND THE CIVIL WAR, THEY ENTRUSTED THE CARE OF THEIR PROPERTY WIVES AND CHILDREN TO REVEREND CHAMBERLAIN.
UPON THEIR RETURN, SOMETIME BETWEEN 1862 AND 1865, THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY AWARDED CHAMBERLAIN HIS FREEDOM IN EXCHANGE FOR PROTECTING THEIR HOMESTEAD.
REVEREND CHAMBERLAIN ALMOST IMMEDIATELY BEGAN WORKING TO BUILD A SCHOOL.
HE KNEW THAT EDUCATION WOULD BE IMPERATIVE TO IMPROVING THE LIVES OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY.
SO AS A MAN IN HIS SEVENTIES, HE ENLISTED THE HELP OF HIS FRIEND CHARLIE HUBBARD, TO ERECT THE FIRST SCHOOLHOUSE FOR BLACK CHILDREN IN COLLIN COUNTY NAMED THE FREEDMAN SCHOOL.
THE ORIGINAL CONSTRUCTION WAS FUNDED ENTIRELY BY THE BLACK COMMUNITY.
NEIGHBORS CHIPPED IN WHATEVER MONEY THEY HAD TO PURCHASE HEAVY TIMBER LOGS, AND ANOTHER GROUP OF NEIGHBORS VOLUNTEERED TO HAUL THE HEAVY LOGS A DISTANCE OF FIVE MILES TO THE INTENDED SCHOOL SITE.
THIS WAS BEFORE CARS, SO THEY WOULD'VE HAD BEEN HAVING TO DO THIS THEMSELVES OR WITH HORSES.
CHAMBERLAIN TAUGHT AT THE SCHOOL FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME,
AT JUNE, 1870, MCKINNEY MESSENGER NEWSPAPER ARTICLE READS, IT IS WITH FEELINGS OF SINCERE REGRET THAT WE RECORD THE DESTRUCTION BY INCENDIARIES OF THE FREEDMAN SCHOOLHOUSE, WHICH WAS SITUATED ABOUT ONE MILE TO THE WEST OF THIS PLACE, AND WHICH SOME FEW WEEKS SINCE WE TOOK OCCASION TO MENTION IN OUR COLUMNS.
THE HOUSE WAS A LOG BUILDING, WHICH SOME OF THE POOR BLACKS OF THE VICINITY HAD PURCHASED AND PAID FOR OUT OF THE HARD EARNINGS OF THEIR HONEST TOIL, AND HAD TAKEN DOWN AND HAULED A DISTANCE OF FOUR OR FIVE MILES AND RE-ERECTED ON ITS LATE SITE.
IT WAS LOCATED A HALF MILE FROM THE PUBLIC ROAD ON A SPOT CHOSEN FOR ITS SECLUSION, AND THE HOPE THAT THE UNENDING STRUCTURE WOULD NEVER OFFEND THE I OR EAR OF ANY WHO MIGHT FEEL UNFRIENDLY TO THEIR RACE OR ITS MENTAL IMMORAL IMPROVEMENT.
JUST ONE MONTH AFTER THAT ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED, THE MESSENGER RELEASED A NEW ARTICLE STATING THAT THE COMMUNITY HAD RAISED ENOUGH MONEY TO HELP FUND THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW SCHOOL.
THIS TIME, IT WOULD BE CONSTRUCTED IN THE HEART OF THE LEWISVILLE NEIGHBORHOOD ON FROCK MORTON STREET.
ONCE REBUILT, THE SCHOOL WAS RENAMED THE FREDERICK DOUGLASS SCHOOL AFTER THE FAMED CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER AND AMERICAN ABOLITIONIST, IT SERVED AFRICAN
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AMERICAN STUDENTS FROM ALL OVER COLLIN COUNTY, WITH STUDENTS FROM PLANO, SALINA, AND JOSEPHINE BUSING IN FROM MILES AWAY TO RECEIVE AN EDUCATION.SOME YEARS LATER, IN 1888, PROFESSOR EDWARD SEWELL DOTY ARRIVED IN MCKINNEY TO WORK AT THE DOUGLAS SCHOOL.
PROFESSOR DOTY WAS BORN JULY 16TH, 1866 IN LOUISIANA FOR REFERENCE.
HE WAS BORN RIGHT AROUND THE SAME TIME THAT REVEREND CHAMBERLAIN WAS GAINING HIS FREEDOM AND PLANNING TO BUILD THE FIRST BLACK SCHOOLHOUSE IN MCKINNEY.
BEFORE ARRIVING IN MCKINNEY, PROFESSOR DOTY EARNED HIS DEGREE FROM PRAIRIE VIEW A AND M, AND THEN HE BEGAN WORKING AS A TEACHER AT THE FREDERICK DOUGLAS SCHOOL IN 1888.
BEFORE EVENTUALLY BECOMING PRINCIPAL.
DURING HIS 50 YEAR TENURE, PROFESSOR DOTY AND HIS STAFF OF DEDICATED EDUCATORS DEVELOPED A CURRICULUM RIVALING THAT OF THE HANDSOMELY FUNDED WHITE SCHOOLS, SECURED FACILITIES IMPROVEMENTS WITH A FRACTION OF THE FUNDING, AND GRADUATED MANY STUDENTS THAT WOULD GO ON TO BE VERY SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR CHOSEN CAREERS.
HIS CURRICULUM, HIS CURRICULUM WAS SO GOOD THAT ANY STUDENT THAT GRADUATED FROM DOTY COULD BE AUTOMATICALLY ACCEPTED INTO ANY HBCU IN THE STATE WITHOUT HAVING TO TAKE AN ENTRANCE EXAM.
IN 1930, THE FREDERICK DOUGLAS SCHOOL BURNED DOWN THE CAUSE IS UNCLEAR.
IT WAS REBUILT IN THE SAME LOCATION ON FROCK MORTON STREET BY THE WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION AND RENAMED ES DOTY SCHOOL FOR PROFESSOR DOTY.
WHEN PROFESSOR DOTY RETIRED, MR. JOHN W FANT JR.
TOOK OVER AS PRINCIPAL OF THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL.
FANT CONTINUED THE IMPORTANT WORK OF REVEREND CHAMBERLAIN AND PROFESSOR DOTY BY SECURING ADDITIONAL FUNDING FROM THE CITY AND FELLOW CITIZENS FOR THE PURPOSE OF IMPROVING THE SCHOOL.
DURING HIS TIME AS PRINCIPAL, MR. FETTE WAS ABLE TO HAVE SIDEWALKS BUILT AROUND THE SCHOOL.
HE MOVED OLD ARMY BARRACKS TO THE CAMPUS TO USE AS A CAFETERIA AND LUNCHROOM, AND HE CREATED NEW SPACES FOR PROGRAMS AT DOTY, LIKE WOOD SHOP, A SCIENCE LABORATORY, A GYM, A GYMNASIUM, AND A SEPARATE KINDERGARTEN WING SITUATED DIRECTLY BEHIND THE MAIN SCHOOL BUILDING.
YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS HE MADE IN THE IMAGES ON THE SCREEN.
UM, THE ABOVE IMAGE, WE HAVE AN IMAGE OF DOTY IN 1985.
UM, THIS WAS NEARLY 20 YEARS AFTER IT HAD CLOSED.
SOME OF THE SURROUNDING BRICK BUILDINGS CAN BE SEEN IN THIS PHOTO, UM, BUT THEY NO LONGER REMAIN TODAY.
THE MAP BELOW THAT SHOWS SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL BUILDINGS BUILT AROUND THE ORIGINAL SCHOOL.
UM, A CAFETERIA BATHROOM AND AUDITORIUM WERE ALL ADDED UNDER PRINCIPAL FAN'S DIRECTION.
MR. FETTE IS ALSO THE NAMESAKE OF FETTE STREET, DIRECTLY SOUTH OF THE SCHOOL'S APPLICATION.
SO IN 19 64, 9 BLACK STUDENTS LEFT THE WARM EMBRACE OF DOTY TO INTEGRATE MCKINNEY ISD.
THEIR NAMES WERE BEATRICE BAILEY, EARL LEE JONES, BILLY NEWSOM, SHEILA RILEY, LINDA BERRY, PRENTICE BOYD, LARRY JAGER, CELESTINE SMITH, AND DEBRA SMITH.
TWO YEARS LATER, IN 1966, DOTY GRADUATED ITS FINAL CLASS AND CLOSED ITS DOORS AS INTEGRATION CONTINUED.
SOME OF DOTY'S EDUCATORS EVEN BECAME THE FIRST TEACHERS, PRINCIPALS AND GUIDANCE COUNSELORS TO INTEGRATE MIST.
LEONARD EVANS GRADUATED FROM DOTY HIGH SCHOOL IN 1942, LATER TAUGHT AT DOTY BEFORE BECOMING THE VERY FIRST BLACK TEACHER TO INTEGRATE MISD WHEN HE INTEGRATED FANNIE FINCH ELEMENTARY, AND LATER BECAME THE FIRST BLACK MAN TO SERVE ON THE MISD SCHOOL BOARD.
HE IS THE NAMESAKE OF LEONARD EVANS MIDDLE SCHOOL HERE IN MCKINNEY.
JESSE MCGOWAN GRADUATED FROM DOTY HIGH SCHOOL IN 1959 AND LATER TAUGHT AT DOTY BEFORE BECOMING THE FIRST BLACK GUIDANCE COUNSELOR IN IN, IN MISD HISTORY.
HE SPENT MANY YEARS AS MIS D'S CHIEF, GED EXAMINER, AND HE'S THE NAMESAKE OF JESSE MCGOWAN ELEMENTARY HERE IN MCKINNEY IOLA LEE DAVIS MALVERN GRADUATED VALEDICTORIAN FROM DOTY HIGH SCHOOL IN 1944 AND TAUGHT AT DOTY AFTER ATTENDING COLLEGE.
DOTY IS ALSO WHERE SHE MET HER HUSBAND, ALBERT.
UM, SHE LATER HELPED TO INTEGRATE BERK'S ELEMENTARY, AND SHE AND HER HUSBAND ARE THE NAMESAKES OF ALBERT AND IOLA DAVIS MALVERN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HERE IN MCKINNEY.
RUBEN REUBEN JOHNSON GRADUATED FROM DOTY HIGH SCHOOL IN THE MID 1940S, LIKELY 19 44, 19 45, BUT I COULD NOT CONFIRM.
UM, LATER BECAME THE LAST PRINCIPAL OF DOTY HIGH SCHOOL BEFORE INTEGRATION IN 1966 AND THE FIRST BLACK PRINCIPAL IN MISD HISTORY WHEN HE WENT TO WORK AT BERKS ELEMENTARY.
HE ALSO SERVED ON A NUMBER OF COUNCIL APPOINTED BOARDS AND COMMITTEES, INCLUDING THE ABOARD OF ADJUSTMENT AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE.
HE IS THE NAMESAKE OF REUBEN JOHNSON ELEMENTARY HERE IN MCKINNEY.
AND THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS HOLY FAMILY CHURCH PURCHASED THE OLD DOTY PROPERTY AND RELOCATED THE HOLY FAMILY PRESCHOOL THERE FROM THE NEARBY NEIGHBORHOOD OF
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LOMA OR LIVELY HILL.SO THAT ORIGINAL BUILDING IS STILL STANDING TODAY, AND IT'S NOW BEING USED AS THE HOLY FAMILY SCHOOL.
SO THE STORY OF DOTY HIGH SCHOOL IS REALLY JUST ONE GLIMPSE INTO THE RICH HISTORY THAT LIVES IN EAST MCKINNEY.
BOTH WE AND THE COMMUNITY KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY MORE STORIES WAITING TO BE TOLD.
IN 2023, THE HISTORIC MCKINNEY SURVEY REPORT CONFIRMED THAT BELIEF.
IT FOUND THAT THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT GAPS IN THE DOCUMENTED HISTORY OF MCKINNEY'S AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND HISPANIC COMMUNITIES, AND RECOMMENDED THAT FUTURE PRESERVATION WORK PRIORITIZE THESE HISTORICALLY BLACK AND HISPANIC NEIGHBORHOODS.
THAT RECOMMENDATION, ALONG WITH STRONG COMMUNITY SUPPORT LED TO THE CREATION OF UNDERTOLD MCKINNEY, A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT DEDICATED TO HONORING THE HIDDEN HISTORIES OF THE PEOPLE, PLACES, AND EVENTS THAT HAVE SHAPED OUR CITY.
WE LAUNCHED THIS PROJECT IN JUNE, IN JUNE, 2025 BY FORMING A COMMUNITY ADVISORY GROUP, BRINGING TOGETHER PARTNERS WHO SHARE A PASSION FOR PRESERVING MCKINNEY'S HISTORY.
OUR MEMBERS INCLUDE BETH BENTLEY WITH THE LEGACY KEEPERS, MEGAN ESCAMILLA AND WAME TERRE OF THE MCKINNEY LEGACY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, THERESA STRANGE JOHNSTON, AND JACQUELINE BAY OF THE MCKINNEY HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
ANNIE QUINN FROM CHESTNUT SQUARE AND SARAH THOMAS WITH CADENCE BANK.
AND OF COURSE, THE CITY OF MCKINNEY'S HISTORIC PRESERVATION STAFF.
UM, UNDERTOLD MCKINNEY GREW DIRECTLY FROM THE SURVEY'S FINDINGS, RECOGNIZING THAT EAST MCKINNEY HADN'T BEEN FULLY DOCUMENTED BEFORE 2023, AND NEEDED FOCUSED RESEARCH TO SUPPORT MEANINGFUL PRESERVATION EFFORTS.
FOR A LITTLE BIT OF PERSPECTIVE, THE CITY CONDUCTED ITS VERY FIRST HISTORIC RESOURCE SURVEY IN 1985.
AND ONLY 99 PROPERTIES WERE SURVEYED, UM, WITHIN THE HISTORIC CORE.
OUR MOST RECENT SURVEY THAT WAS COMPLETED IN 2 20 23 REVIEWED 6,258 PROPERTIES, INCLUDING EAST MCKINNEY'S LEGACY NEIGHBORHOODS.
BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF HISTORIC RECORD, THE UNDERTOLD MCKINNEY PROJECT BECAME ESSENTIAL.
AS OUR CITY CONTINUES TO GROW AND EVOLVE, WE REALLY WANNA HONOR AND PRESERVE THE STORIES THAT BROUGHT US TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
WHEN WE UNDERSTAND WHAT PAST GENERATIONS EXPERIENCED, WE CAN CONNECT MORE DEEPLY TO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND FEEL A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY TO CARRY THAT LEGACY FORWARD.
OUR 2025 UNDERTOLD MCKINNEY PRO, UH, I'M SORRY, THE UNDERTOLD MCKINNEY PROJECT LAUNCHED IN 2025, AND OUR INAUGURAL COMMUNITY ADVISORY CHOSE TO APPLY FOR A HISTORIC MARKER HONORING DOTY SCHOOL AS THEIR FIRST PROJECT.
AND TONIGHT IT IS MY GREAT HONOR TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE HAVE BEEN AWARDED A HISTORIC MARKER FOR DOTY SCHOOL.
SO IT'LL TAKE SOME TIME FOR THE MARKER TO GET HERE, BUT WE GOT IT.
AND THAT IS A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR US AND FOR THE COMMUNITY.
ROSA, YOU'RE GONNA MAKE ME CRY.
UM, SO NOW, SO NOW WE'LL TAKE A BRIEF INTERMISSION,
UM, IT'S GONNA BE A REALLY GOOD DISCUSSION.
SO PLEASE TAKE A BREAK, UM, GO TO THE BATHROOM, GRAB SOME WATER, HUG EACH OTHER, AND WE'LL BE BACK IN 10 MINUTES, UM, FOR OUR PANEL DISCUSSION.
UM, BEFORE I HAND OVER THE MICROPHONE TO MS. BETH BENTLEY AND LET HER LEAD OUR PANEL DISCUSSION, I DID JUST WANT TO TOUCH BACK ON, UM, OUR HISTORIC MARKER APPLICATION FOR DOTY.
NOW THAT I AM COMPOSED
UM, WE HAD A LOT OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT.
OUR COMMUNITY ADVISORY GROUP REALLY HELPED LEAD THE CHARGE, UM, AND DEFINED WHAT INFORMATION WE NEEDED TO INCLUDE AND HOW WE COULD MAKE THE APPLICATION AS STRONG AS POSSIBLE.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ALSO REACHED OUT TO, UM, A FEW COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO WROTE LETTERS OF SUPPORT, TALKING ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT WOULD BE AND HOW MEANINGFUL IT WOULD BE IF DOTY WERE TO RECEIVE A HISTORIC MARKER.
SO I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE PEOPLE THAT WROTE THOSE LETTERS OF SUPPORT.
BEFORE WE MOVE ON, UM, PASTOR CHARLES WATLEY, UM, WROTE A LETTER ON BEHALF OF ST.
UM, MS. LINDA JAGER WROTE A LETTER.
UM, JESSE MCGOWAN, MR. JESSE MCGOWAN ALSO WROTE A LETTER.
AND OF COURSE, MR. RALPH EVANS ALSO PROVIDED A LETTER.
AND THEN WE ALSO GOT LETTERS OF SUPPORT FROM THE MCKINNEY HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, UM, WHICH
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IS ON THE WEST SIDE OF FIVE, AS WELL AS THE MCKINNEY LEGACY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS ON THE EAST SIDE OF FIVE.UM, SO WE JUST ARE VERY GRATEFUL TO THOSE PEOPLE.
AND I, I, IF YOU LEAVE HERE, UM, WITH, WITH ANYTHING TONIGHT, UM, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT HISTORIC PRESERVATION IS A COMMUNITY EFFORT.
UM, AND IT, IT'S NOT ONE PERSON, IT'S ALL OF US, AND WE HAVE TO SHARE OUR STORIES IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO CARRY THE LEGACY FORWARD.
UM, SO WITH THAT, I WILL GO AHEAD AND HAND THE MICROPHONE OVER TO MS. BETH BENTLEY, AND WE WILL GO INTO OUR PANEL DISCUSSION.
WELL, FIRST WE WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE TORI AND THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD HISTORIC PRESERVATION NEIGHBORHOOD OFFICE, ALL THE CITY JUST FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I'LL BE CRYING NEXT, JUST SO Y'ALL KNOW, JUST BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT WE DO.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
TONIGHT IS ALSO ABOUT YOU HEARD FACTS, BUT YOU'RE GONNA HEAR MORE FACTS THAT ARE MORE IN THE FORM OF STORYTELLING.
AND SO WE HAVE SOME GREAT STORYTELLERS UP HERE, Y'ALL SOME GREAT FIRSTHAND STORYTELLERS, AND WE'RE GONNA HEAR WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY.
UM, ALL OF THEM, THEY'RE GONNA SHARE STORIES.
BUT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT MCKINNEY AND OLD EAST MCKINNEY, THIS RIGHT HERE.
SO, UM, AND ALSO IN THE FRONT, YOU HAVE SOME LEGACY, UM, FAMILIES IN THE FRONT.
WE ARE SO GRATEFUL THAT YOU ALL ARE HERE TODAY.
AND BEFORE WE ACTUALLY GO EVEN FURTHER, THIS, THIS PICTURE IS FROM DOTY, UM, EDWARD SEWELL DOTY.
THAT'S THE ES IN CASE YOU'RE WONDERING IF YOU WERE A PART OF DOTY IN ANY WAY.
WILL YOU PLEASE STAND OR RAISE YOUR HAND? WE KNOW FROM THE DAIS FOR SURE,
SO WE'RE GONNA START WITH A LITTLE LIGHT QUESTION.
AND EVERYONE CAN, CAN PARTICIPATE IN THIS PART.
IN WHICH NEIGHBORHOOD DID YOU GROW UP? AND TELL US ONE THING THAT IMMEDIATELY COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND WHICH NEIGHBORHOOD DID YOU GROW UP, AND WHAT COMES TO MIND RIGHT AWAY.
AS SOON AS YOU, YOU THINK ABOUT THAT.
YOU WANNA START, START US OFF.
HE IS THE BABY OF A BUNCH OF IT TOO.
SO LET, BEFORE WE DO THAT, LET'S TALK ABOUT WHO'S HERE, BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA, WE JUST SAY YOUR NAME BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THEMSELVES IN A DIFFERENT KIND OF WAY.
BUT LET'S AT LEAST JUST SAY WHO YOU, JUST SAY WHO YOU ARE AND THEN SAY WHERE YOU, WHERE YOU GREW UP.
WHICH NEIGHBORHOOD? ME? MM-HMM
LINDA JERS, LOUISVILLE CENTRAL, AND BACK TO LOUISVILLE
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD GROWING UP, IS THERE ANYTHING ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT JUST IMMEDIATELY COMES TO MIND? THAT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, IT'S LIKE, I, IT'S THIS, THIS THING.
I GREW UP IN LOUISVILLE, THE COMPRESS.
'CAUSE I GREW UP RIGHT BESIDE THE COMPRESS.
YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THE COMPRESS? WHAT IS THAT? SO, UH, THE COMPRESS WAS WHERE THE GIN COTTON, AND THEY USED TO PUT 'EM ON BOX CARDS.
AND IN THE SUMMERTIME WE COULD ALMOST COUNT THAT THERE WAS GONNA BE A FIRE BECAUSE THE COTTON WOULD GET HOT AND CATCH ON FIRE.
AND IF YOU'VE NEVER SEEN A, UH, COTTON BURN BALES A COTTON BURN, IT BURNS FOR A WEEK.
SO AS A KID, WE SAW ALLEN FRISCO.
MR. MCGOWAN TO TELL YOU, ALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS WERE SITTING ON TH MARTIN STREET BY THE COMPRESS, BECAUSE IT, IT WOULD BE ABOUT A FOUR DAY FAR, BECAUSE THEY PUT IT OUT AND IT WOULD CATCH BACK AGAIN.
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WELL, GROWING UP IN, GROWING UP IN CENTRAL, ESPECIALLY THE STREET THAT I LIVED ON WAS JUST A FEW BLOCKS FROM, I GUESS WE, WE WOULD CALL IT THE SQUARE.AND I, I CALL IT TODAY THE MONOPOLY BOARD OF MCKINNEY.
AND ONE, ONE THING THAT WAS VERY DISTINCT ABOUT WHERE I GREW UP AND THE STREET THAT WE GREW UP ON, WE WERE, DURING THE TIME, WE WERE THE ONLY INTEGRATED STREET IN MCKINNEY, WHICH IS VERY, VERY UNIQUE.
AND AT THAT TIME, UH, WHEN I GREW UP IN LOUISVILLE, I, WELL, FROM BIRTH TO 10 YEARS OLD, I REMEMBER THE TRASH TRUCKS WOULD COME AND THEY WOULD GO EAST OF WHERE I LIVED.
THE STREET THAT I GREW UP ON WAS JOHNSON STREET, WHICH IS NOW CANAL STREET.
WHEN IT WOULD RAIN, IT WOULD BE SO MUDDY, AND PEOPLE WOULD GET STUCK IN THEIR CARS AND HAVE TO GET PULLED OUT.
WELL, I'M GONNA BACK, I'M GONNA BACK UP IN REGARD TO WHAT SHE SAID ABOUT THE STREETS.
ALL THE STREETS, ALL THE, YEAH, ALL THE STREETS ON THE PREDOMINANTLY EAST SIDE OF TOWN, INCLUDING THE STREET THAT, THAT WE GREW UP ON, THEY WERE DIRTY.
AND DURING THE RAINY SEASON, THEY WERE JUST MUD.
WERE, WERE BLACKS AND HISPANICS LIVED DURING THAT TIME.
UH, WELL, AS A SON OF A FOOTBALL COACH, UM, I'M GONNA SAY SOMETHING MORE POSITIVE.
I, I HAD A GREAT CHILDHOOD
AND, UH, I, I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT THESE TWO BROTHERS RIGHT HERE ON THE PAUL ALLEN AND SAM ALLEN.
THEY, IT WAS LIKE, AS A KID, THAT WAS LIKE WATCHING MICHAEL PARSONS AND SAQUON BARKLEY WATCHING THEM PRACTICE.
AND, UM, I, I WALKED UP ON SAM AND I KIND OF GOT CLOSE TO HIM.
AND YOU STILL, YOU STILL GOT
AND HE WAS ABOUT THAT ROUGH IN SCHOOL TOO.
I WAS LIKE, MAN, THAT'S CRAZY.
I SAW HIM, UM, HE FELL AND BLOOD WAS COMING DOWN.
AND AS ME AND MY BROTHER, WE WERE KIDS.
AND I WAS LIKE, MAN, DO YOU SEE ALL THE BLOOD? HE SAID, YEAH.
AND SAM WAS JUST STILL PLAYING.
I'M LIKE, I WAS LIKE, OH MY GOD.
WHEN I WAS ABOUT SIX YEARS OLD THEN.
AND, UH, WHAT I REMEMBER, UH, IN MY GROWING UP WAS THE COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIP.
THE TOGETHERNESS BECAUSE MY DADDY AND A MAN BY THE NAME OF LLOYD ALLEN HAD FOUND, HAD, UH, FAMILY GARDENS, I GUESS IS WHAT YOU WOULD CALL 'EM AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME THERE.
AND THEY WOULD GET THE FIRST, WE WOULD GET THE FIRST PICKINGS OF IT, AND THEN THEY WOULD OPEN UP THE GARDENS TO EVERYONE ELSE IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND I REMEMBER THERE WERE TIMES THAT MY MOTHER COULD WALK OVER TO THE NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR IF SHE NEEDED SOME SUGAR AND JUST WALK THROUGH THE DOOR AND GET THE SUGAR.
OR SHE COULD COME OUT AND COME OVER TO MY HOUSE AND WE'D GET SUGAR.
IT WAS A UNITED COMMUNITY, I THINK AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME.
THAT, THAT WAS, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S THE, WE WERE A FAMILY.
MCKINNEY WAS A FAMILY COMMUNITY.
AND AS RALPH JUST MENTIONED HERE, UH, Y'ALL DON'T KNOW HOW MY HEART IS OPEN TONIGHT TO BE ABLE TO BE BLESSED AND TO BE SITTING HERE AMONG THE PEOPLE, MY FAMILY.
THIS IS MY FAMILY, YOU SEE ALONG THE FRONT.
THESE RIGHT HERE,
ALL OF THEM
AND I SAID, I TOLD MY DAUGHTER, I SAID, I'M NOT GONNA BREAK UP TONIGHT, BUT I CAN'T HEAR IT BECAUSE YOU'VE ALWAYS SHOWN ME LOVE.
AND YOU'RE SHOWING ME THAT SAME DEGREE OF LOVE TONIGHT.
AND THAT'S WHAT I REMEMBER ABOUT MCKINNEY IS THAT MCKINNEY IS A LOVING GROUP OF PEOPLE.
I'M NOT GONNA TELL YOU THAT IT WAS NOT BAD HERE AND THAT THINGS WERE NOT RIGHT.
THAN THERE WERE MORE WRONG PEOPLE AND NON-CARING PEOPLE.
WELL, UH, GROWING UP IN THE ROCKWALL COMMUNITY, IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND, AS A CHILD GROWING UP, YOU REALLY DIDN'T HAVE TO LEAVE YOUR COMMUNITY FOR A WHOLE LOT.
UH, THERE WERE THREE CHURCHES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
TWO OF 'EM ARE STILL STANDING TODAY,
[00:30:01]
UH, WHICH IS GOOD HOPE.AND, UH, MOUNT PILGRIM, WE HAD, UH, TWO STORES THERE.
UH, I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO WALK AWAY AND SAY, I SAID WE HAD TWO JUPE JOINTS.
SO, SO YOU WERE ABLE TO GET FOOD IN YOUR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD, AND AS MR. MAGNEY SAID, IT WAS ALL ABOUT FAMILY.
UH, WHEN YOU WALKED DOWN THE STREET, AND I DIDN'T SAY WALK DOWN THE SIDEWALK, WHEN YOU WALKED IN THE STREET, YOUR NEIGHBORS KNEW YOU AND YOU KNEW YOUR NEIGHBORS.
SO THAT WAS, UH, VERY POSITIVE PART OF, UH, GROWING UP IN THE COMMUNITY.
THAT GIVES US A REALLY GOOD GLIMPSE OF THE HEART OF MCKINNEY.
AND IN THAT SAME WAY, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE LEGACY NEIGHBORHOODS, WHAT STANDS OUT FOR YOU THAT HAS CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE THE TIME THAT YOU WERE GROWING UP? WHAT'S DIFFERENT NOW? WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS IS WHERE I GREW UP WAS PRIMARILY BLACK.
THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE AROUND NOTHING BUT BLACK PEOPLE.
THERE WERE HISPANICS OVER ON WHAT WE CALL LIVELY HILL, BUT THAT WAS THE ONLY HISPANICS THAT WAS IN THE AREA UNTIL WELL MORNING DAY.
SO WE WERE BLACK, YOU KNOW, IT WAS BLACK.
AND, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MOST OF THE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT HERE IS, AND I HAVE A HARD TIME IN EXPLAINING, I GUESS THAT'S WHY I BECAME A COACH, BECAUSE MY DAD HAD A BASEBALL TEAM.
HE JUST CALLED THE MCKINNEY BASEBALL TEAM, AND THEY JUST BOMB STORMED AROUND.
EAST TEXAS WALKS A HATCHET AND SO FORTH.
WE WOULD GO AND WE WOULD PLAY.
AND, UH, IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS IN HISTORY THAT'S, THAT'S NOT IN THE MCKINNEY HISTORY, THAT I WISH SOME, SOME WAY, SOMEHOW THAT IT WOULD BE PUT THERE BECAUSE IT EXISTED FOR OVER 10 YEARS FROM THE TIME THAT WE MOVED TO MCKINNEY UNTIL, UNTIL ABOUT THE END OF OLD, LATE FORTIES OR THE EARLY FIFTIES.
MR. MCGOWAN, WE MAY HAVE SOME OF THAT HISTORY THAT WE CAN GET OVER TO YOU.
WE FOUND SOME CLIPPINGS OF MM-HMM
AND HE HAD, AND HE HAD SOME PLAYERS THAT PLAYED IN THE NEGRO LEAGUE.
MY UNCLES, ABE AND CLYDE, IF THEY HAD COME ALONG AT THE RIGHT TIME, WOULD'VE BEEN PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL PLAYERS.
THAT WOULD BE THE SAME FOR YOU, MR. MCGOWAN.
UH, I WENT TO, I WENT TO TEXAS COLLEGE IN TYLER, TEXAS, AND I TRIED OUT FOR THE FOOTBALL TEAM, WHICH I DIDN'T MAKE, BUT I DID MAKE THE BASEBALL TEAM.
AND I WOULD HAVE PROBABLY GONE, I WON'T SAY PRO, BUT I WOULD'VE HAD THE CHANCE TO GO PRO.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, I MET A LOVELY LADY BY THE NAME OF JUNE SUMMER, AND I FELL IN LOVE WITH HER.
AND WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO GO SOMEWHERE SOUTH CAROLINA SOMEWHERE TO CONTINUE OUR TRIP THERE.
AND I DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE MY WIFE BECAUSE I LOVED HER SO MUCH.
SO I REMAINED IN TYLER, TEXAS AND FINISHED AT TEXAS COLLEGE
AND WE'RE GLAD YOU DID, MR. MCAL.
I THINK FOR ME, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SEEMS TO BE MISSING IN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, NOW IS A, A SENSE OF PRIDE.
THAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY, UM, A SENSE OF BELONGING.
AND, UM, WE, WE'VE KIND OF, UM, HEARD DIFFERENT PEOPLE TALK ABOUT IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE MM-HMM
UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT I LIVE IN NOW, I'VE BEEN THERE FOR 25 YEARS, AND I DON'T HAVE THAT FEELING OF BELONGING THAT I HAD WHEN I LIVED IN THE ROCKWELL COMMUNITY.
ANYBODY ELSE? ONE MORE, ANYTHING SIGNIFICANT THAT YOU NOTICE IS MISSING STARK CHANGE? I'VE NOTICED, I'VE NOTICED SO MUCH OF THE MODERNIZATION THAT, THAT THAT'S TAKING PLACE.
LIKE REVEREND WILEY SAID, AND, AND MR. MCGOWAN.
[00:35:03]
OUR STREET WAS, WAS AN INTEGRATED STREET, AND, AND IT TOOK ME A LONG TIME TO REALIZE THAT WE ALL GOT, REGARDLESS OF THE ETHNICITY THAT WAS ON THAT STREET, EVERYBODY GOT ALONG.EVERYBODY COMMUNICATED WITH ONE ANOTHER WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM.
AND WHEN MODERNIZATION, AS IT HAS COME INTO PLAY AND EVERYTHING, IT IS CAUSED THAT TO SATURATE.
AND I SEE SO MANY OTHER THINGS THAT, WHERE HOMES WERE TO ME, YOU, YOU SEE MULTIFAMILY OR YOU SEE, UH, COMMERCIAL POPPING UP.
AND THAT IS SORT OF LIKE, LIKE REVEREND WALLACE SAID, YOU, YOU DON'T SEE ANY OF THAT.
AND IT'S JUST, IT'S DILUTED THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND IT'S JUST, UH, IT'S JUST CHANGE.
JUST YOU, JUST, THAT THAT CHANGE IS, THAT FIELD IS NOT LIKE IT USED TO BE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HONESTY ABOUT THAT.
AND THOSE OF US THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE, WE, WE FEEL IT TOO.
UM, CHANGE, JUST LIKE YOU SAID, CHANGE.
MAY I SAY SOMETHING HERE? OH, YES.
UHHUH,
TO WHEREBY ON SATURDAYS AFTER A FOOTBALL GAME, WE WOULD GO MR. BOWLINGS DOWN ON HIGHWAY FIVE, RIGHT.
WHITE AND BLACK HISPANICS WOULD PLAY TOGETHER.
THAT WAS BEFORE WE CAME TOGETHER.
AND I FEEL LIKE IF WE COULD GET THAT SAME TYPE OF MENTALITY THAT WE CAN COME TOGETHER AND THAT WE CAN WORK TOGETHER, THAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING THAT WE WANT TO HERE IN MCKINNEY, NOT ONLY HERE IN MCKINNEY, BUT IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA THAT WE LIVE.
BECAUSE WE HAD A TOGETHERNESS.
WE, WHEN WE GOT OUT THERE ON THAT FIELD AND WE PLAYED WITH EACH OTHER, WE DIDN'T SEE WHITE AND WE DIDN'T SEE BLACK, AND WE DIDN'T SEE HISPANIC.
WE WERE JUST KIDS ON THE FIELD ENJOYING EACH OTHER AND HAVING FUN.
WHEN I CAME OVER AS A COUNSELOR FROM MCKINNEY JUNIOR HIGH AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME,
IT WASN'T JUST THE BLACK STUDENTS THAT I HAD RIGHT HERE.
IT WAS A HISPANIC STUDENT AND IT WAS THE WHITE STUDENTS.
THEY SAID THAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR A COUNSELOR.
AND IT WAS THE STUDENTS WHO SAID, WHY ARE YOU LOOKING? WHY ARE YOU LOOKING? AND I GUESS THEY KIND OF LOOKED AT THE AMAZEMENT AND EVERYTHING BECAUSE THEY SAID, WELL, WHO ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
AND EVERY TIME I SPEAK TO THIS, IT, IT ALWAYS BRINGS TEARS TO MY HEART BECAUSE I FOUND OUT IF YOU REACH OUT, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT COLOR YOU ARE OR WHERE YOU CAME FROM OR ANYTHING, IF YOU SHOW LOVE, LOVE WILL BE RETURNED TO YOU.
AND THAT'S ANYWHERE,
AND IT, IT WAS, IT WAS THE STUDENTS.
AND WHEN I WENT TO MCKINNEY HIGH SCHOOL OVER THE TROUBLE THAT HAD THAT, I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO THAT.
WHAT WE, WE AS ADULTS, SOMETIMES, UH, WE DON'T LOOK AT THINGS LIKE THE YOUNG PEOPLE LOOK AT IT.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME CHANGES IN SOME THINGS, IN SOME WAYS THAT WE'RE DOING THINGS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY ALLOWED ME TO DO WAS TO CREATE A SYSTEM THAT I THOUGHT WOULD WORK.
AND I CREATED WHAT I CALL THE NIC COMMITTEE MADE UP OF HISPANIC STUDENTS, WHITE STUDENTS, AND BLACK STUDENTS.
IN FACT, THIS YOUNG MAN RIGHT HERE, REVEREND WALLY WAS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT SAT ON THAT COMMITTEE.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT? THEY HANDED OUT MORE JUSTICE AND EQUAL PENALTY THAN THE ADULTS DID.
IN FACT, THEY BROUGHT A LOT OF PEACE AND CALM TO THE SITUATION THAN WHAT WE WOULD HAVE AS ADULTS.
[00:40:01]
THANK YOU MR. MCGOWAN.AND IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW MR. MCGOWAN'S NAME,
AND HE BEING A COUNSELOR, HE WAS MY COUNSELOR TOO AT MCKINNEY HIGH.
AND, UM, ALWAYS, ALWAYS BRINGING US TOGETHER IN A SPIRIT OF PEACE.
SO NOW WE'RE GONNA DO A LITTLE, NOT SPEED DATING, BUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, WE'RE, I'M GONNA SAY A WORD OR A PHRASE, AND I WANT YOU TO SHARE YOUR FIRST THOUGHT.
SO WHOEVER GETS TO THE THOUGHT FIRST GETS TO SAY WHAT THEY WANNA SAY.
SO, MR. MCGOWAN, AL ALREADY SAID SOMETHING ABOUT COMMUNITY GARDENS, BUT IF SOMEONE HAS SOMETHING THEY WANNA SAY ABOUT COMMUNITY GARDENS, GO.
I'M GONNA START NAMING SOME PHRASES AND WORDS.
WHAT COMMUNITY WAS THAT? RALPH.
AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, COACH SAID YOU COULD HAVE ALL OF THE, ALL OF THE VEGETABLES YOU, YOU WANTED.
THEY DIDN'T TELL THE PART THAT YOU HAD TO GO GET IT YOURSELF THOUGH.
IT SAID, OKAY, IT'S OUT THERE.
MISS FANNIE WILSON USED TO BE MY NEIGHBOR.
AND, UM, I WAS A YOUNG CHILD GROWING UP.
MISS FANNIE WILSON, AND I CAN'T THINK OF THE, THE, THE WHITE LADY'S NAME, BUT IT WAS MISS.
MS. GRIFFIN RAISED CORN AND ACROSS THE ALLEY, I SHOULDN'T SAY ALLEY, I SHOULD SAY JOHNSON STREET FOR THE SIMPLE, FOR THE
I NEVER KNEW THE ALLEY WAS A STREET UNTIL A POLICEMAN STOPPED ME SEVERAL YEARS BACK AND TOLD ME I WAS, I WAS GOING DOWN A ONE WAY STREET.
AND I, AND I SAID, OFFICER, TAKE THE PORT.
WHERE IS THE ONE WAY STREET? HE SAID, YOU'RE ON IT.
AND HE SAID, HE SAID, I'M SORRY, YOU MUST NOT BE HERE BECAUSE MCKINNEY DOESN'T HAVE ANY ALLEYS.
AND I LOOKED AT HIM AND I SAID, THIS WAS A DIRT ROAD ALL MY LIFE.
AND NOW IT'S PAVED, AND NOW IT'S BECOME AN ALLEY.
BUT MISS FANNY GREW CORN ACROSS ON THE WEST SIDE OF JOHNSON STREET.
AND MISS FANNY WILSON GREW A GARDEN.
PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING IN IT ON THE EAST SIDE OF JOHNSON STREET, THE ALLEY NEXT, RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO ME.
AND I WOULD SNEAK OVER TO HER, ACROSS HER FENCE.
I WOULD JUST SNEAK ACROSS THE FENCE NEXT DOOR AND I WOULD BORROW SOME OF HER VEGETABLES,
AND TAKE 'EM AND GIVE 'EM TO MY GRANDMOTHER.
AND SHE WOULD ASK ME, WHERE DID YOU GET 'EM? AND I TOLD 'EM, I GOT 'EM FROM MS. MS. FANNY.
AND SHE WOULD SAY, GO OVER THERE AND TELL HER YOU GOT 'EM.
AND HERE I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU SOME MONEY TO PAY HER BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO TAKE, AND I SAID, MS. CALLIE SMITH.
I SAID, I'M NOT TAKING, I WAS JUST BORROWING.
SHE SAID, WELL, GO PAY HER FOR WHAT? FOR YOU BORROWING WHAT YOU TOOK.
WHO WANTS TO TAKE THAT ONE? OKAY.
UH, SINCE YOU SAID THIS IS SPEED DATING, UM, HIGHWAY FIVE, ONE OF THE FIRST, UH, DIVIDING LINES THAT POPS IN MY HEAD IN MCKINNEY BECAUSE, UH, HIGHWAY FIVE, IF YOU LIVED EAST OF FIVE, UM, IT HAD SOME NEGATIVE CON CONNOTATIONS.
NOW WE'VE KIND OF USED 75 RIGHT AS EAST AND WEST.
BUT THAT WAS THE FIRST THING THAT POPS INTO MY MIND IS THE FIRST DIVIDING LINE RIGHT AFTER I WAS EAST OF THE TRACKS.
WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA GET SPECIFIC, I'M GONNA GET SPECIFIC.
REVEREND WATLEY SAID HIGHWAY FIVE WAS THE, WAS THE DIVIDE BETWEEN RED LINING AND NON RED LINING.
AND, AND IF YOU LIVE EAST, LIKE YOU SAY, NO WAY.
BUT THEN IF YOU LIVE WEST, THERE'S A POSSIBILITY.
AND THE FURTHER WEST YOU MOVE.
NOW WE HAVE TO BREAK THAT DOWN, MR. REALTOR.
WHAT IS REDLINING? REDLINING? REDLINING IS WHEN A PARTICULAR AREA IS CONSIDERED SUBSTANDARD IN A WAY OR DEVALUED.
AND YOU CANNOT OBTAIN, YOU CANNOT OBTAIN THE PROPERTY THAT YOU LIVE ON CANNOT BE COLLATERAL FOR YOU
[00:45:01]
TO PURCHASE A LOAN TO OBTAIN MONEY FROM A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION AND EVERY PROPERTY, PRETTY MUCH, UNLESS YOU WERE VERY WELL KNOWN IN THE REDLINING AREA, IF YOU WORKED FOR A PARTICULAR PERSON.AND THAT PER THE NAME OF THAT PERSON WAS YOUR COLLATERAL, SO TO SPEAK, FOR YOU TO GET ONLY WHAT THEY WANTED YOU TO HAVE, NOT WHAT YOU NEEDED.
AND THAT WAS THE REALITY IN MCKINNEY.
UH, WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS, UH, THAT HIGHWAY FIVE ALWAYS REMINDED ME OF WAS LIKE, UH, I THINK IT WAS MAURICE.
WAS IT MAURICE? OR LIKE WE WENT IN ANYWAY, WAS THE STREETS.
AS HE SAID, OUR STREETS WERE NOT PAID.
THEY WERE EITHER JUST THE OLD BLACK DIRT THAT WE HAVE AROUND HERE.
BUT MY STREET WAS THE OLD COBBLE ROCKS, THOSE OLD WHITE COBBLE ROCKS WHEREBY IT IS LUMP IT, YOU JUST, YOU KNOW, YOU ALMOST TEAR YOUR CAR JUST GOING UP AND DOWN THE STREETS.
WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY DITCHES FOR DRAINAGE.
RIGHT WHEN IT RAINED, THE WATER JUST FLOWED EVERYWHERE IN YOUR HOUSE AND EVERYWHERE.
UH, OUR CONVENIENCES, BECAUSE I CAME UP IN THE TIME BEFORE
AND SO THOSE ARE SOME OF, SOME OF THE, SOME, SOME OF THE MEMORIES THAT WERE NEGATIVE IN MY MIND.
SEE MY DAD AND A FEW OTHERS, UH, HIS DAD, MR. WATLEY, GEORGE CROCKETT, UH, I'M, I'M TRYING TO THINK OF SOME OF THE OTHERS NOW.
NAMES KIND OF SLIP AWAY FROM ME NOW BECAUSE OF MY MA BUT THEY HAD WHAT THEY CALLED THE TRI, NOT THE THE NIC THAT WAS Y'ALL, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
IT WAS THE, UH, OH, GOOD GRACIOUS.
THAT, UH, I CAN'T THINK OF THE NAME OF THE CLUB, BUT THESE GENTLEMEN WERE THE ONES THAT WOULD GO BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, AND COMPLAIN ABOUT THESE THINGS.
AND THEY WERE THE ONES WHO EVENTUALLY WE GOT THE STREETS, WE GOT THE DRAINAGE, WE WE GOT THE THINGS THAT WE NEEDED ON THE EAST SIDE THAT THEY ALREADY HAD ON THE WEST SIDE THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE.
MR. WAS IT THE NAACP OR DIFFERENT? WELL, HE, HE CAME ALONG LATER.
THIS IS, THIS IS BACK WHEN I WAS JUST A TEENAGER.
SO THOSE, BUT THOSE GENTLEMEN WERE THE ONE WHO WOULD GO BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL AND, AND MAKE THESE COMPLAINTS AND TRY TO GET THESE THINGS CHANGED ON THE EAST SIDE THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE.
SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE NEGATIVE THINGS ABOUT THE EAST SIDE DURING THE TIME THAT I GREW UP, WAS WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE ANY FACILITIES.
AND YOU, AND TODAY WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A VOICE THROUGH THE MCKINNEY LEGACY NEIGHBORHOODS ASSOCIATION.
THEY'RE DOING AN AMAZING JOB IN PROVIDING THAT VOICE FOR THE, FOR EAST MCKINNEY.
AND IF YOU ARE PART OF THAT ASSOCIATION, WILL YOU RAISE YOUR HAND? RAISE YOUR HAND? WHERE? SEE SOME ALL THANK YOU.
YOU KNOW WHAT? I DON'T MEAN TO, TO COME OFF NEGATIVE, BUT WE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REALISM.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REALISM TONIGHT.
AND MR. AND I, YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING TO MR. MCGOWAN THAT SEEMS LIKE IT SHOULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE, BUT IF YOU LIVED EAST OF HIGHWAY FIVE, THERE WAS NO POSTAL SERVICE FOR YOU.
NOT UNTIL THAT, THAT, THAT, AND I'M, I SAID I'M THE BABY UP HERE AND I WENT THROUGH THE DESEGREGATION AS WELL.
BUT I REMEMBER US STILL HAVING TO GO TO THE POST OFFICE TO GET OUR MAIL.
I REMEMBER OUR FIRST MAILMAN WAS, UH, WHAT'S LUCKY? LUCKY.
WHAT'S HIS REAL NAME? GARY BURNELL.
BUT BEFORE THEN YOU HAD TO GO GET YOUR MAIL, MR. MC GOS W RIGHT.
I'M REMEMBER US NOT HAVING PUBLIC UTILITIES.
AND I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M IN MY SIXTIES.
SO IT, IT WAS NOT JUST IN HIS LIFETIME, IT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO ME THAT I REMEMBER US NOT HAVING CERTAIN, UM, UTILITIES AND, AND ACCESS TO THINGS THAT WERE COMMON ON THE WEST SIDE OF HIGHWAY FIVE.
AND, AND REVEREND WATLEY'S W RIGHT.
HIGHWAY FIVE WAS THE DIVIDING LINE.
AND UM, I GUESS I'M THE SPEED DEMON UP HERE.
[00:50:01]
I USED TO TRY TO COME IN LATE AT NIGHT AND THEY KNEW WHO WE WERE BY WHAT TIME WE TURNED.SO IF WE TURNED TO THE COMING FROM DALLAS, IF WE TURNED TO THE RIGHT, YEAH.
YOU, YOU HAD TO GET TO THE RAILROAD TRACKS BEFORE YOU GOT A TICKET.
IF NOT, YOU COULD TURN TO THE LEFT AND KEEP GOING.
I, I, I'M JUST, WE WANT KEEP I I'M JUST SAYING, UM, THERE WERE SEVERAL INCIDENTS LIKE THAT WHERE THEY WERE OH, OKAY.
AND UNFORTUNATELY FOR US, THEY KNEW WHO WE WERE.
AND THEY KNEW WHO WE WERE AND OH, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S MR. WHITELEY DOWN THERE.
LET ME GO GET HIM THAT AND GIVE HIM A TICKET.
BECAUSE THEY KNEW THAT HIS FOLKS WERE GOING TO PAY THE FINE.
I COULD PULL UP, OH, THERE'S MAURICE'S CAR RIGHT THERE.
HE'S GONNA HAVE A TICKET IN A FEW MINUTES.
SO HIGHWAY FIVE WAS DEFINITELY THE DIVIDING LINE FOR US.
'CAUSE I COULD DRIVE HIM ON THE WEST SIDE ALL DAY LONG, FAST.
DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING? DO YOU WANT TO, OR DO YOU WANNA GO TO, GO AHEAD.
HIGHWAY FIVE TO ME, UH, WAS THE ONLY WAY TO GET TO DALLAS AT ONE TIME.
IT WILL TAKE YOU ALL THE WAY THROUGH DALLAS.
AND THAT WAS THE ONLY WAY UNTIL HIGHWAY 75 WAS BUILT.
REMEMBER THOSE SUNDAY, SUNDAY AFTER CHURCH DRIVES THAT WE USED TO TAKE ALL WAIT UNTIL DALLAS.
SO LET'S GET TO MR. JOHNNY'S CAFE.
WHAT DO YOU THINK WE'RE GONNA GO SPEAK? CHILI DOGS.
THAT WAS MR. JOHNNY'S CAFE WAS IN WHICH COMMUNITY? LOUISVILLE.
BECAUSE I, I, UH, I THINK ABOUT FUN TIMES AND, UM, I KNOW MARK, SHE'S A BABY UP HERE.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT THAT OLD MYSELF, BUT I ACTUALLY PLAYED IN, UH, SEGREGATED LITTLE LEAGUES WITH, UH, MY UNCLE JIMMY BROWN UNTIL THEY INTEGRATED THE LITTLE LEAGUE SYSTEM IN MCKINNEY.
BUT IT WAS GREAT TIMES THAT MOVES ON FIELD.
YOU KNOW, YOU WANNA TELL IT? NO.
DOUGLAS TAYLORS MY NEIGHBORHOOD
NOW EVERYBODY WANTS TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
UH, IT'S THE FIRST TIME I LEARNED HOW TO DRY CLEAN CLOTHES BECAUSE, UH, THEY SAY DOUGLAS CLEAN, BUT THAT'S UNCLE MILTON AND THEY MARRIED TO ME.
UH, AND, UM, AS A KID COMING UP, UH, HE WAS THE FIRST ENTREPRENEUR THAT I REALLY KNEW.
AS A KID GROWING UP, PERSONALLY, KNOWING, I MEAN, I GREW UP THERE WITH MR. STEVE AND THERE'S MR.
I SEE THERE'S OTHER ONES DOWN HERE THAT WE GREW UP IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUT AS FAR AS KNOWING THEM, GOING TO THEIR HOUSE, HANGING OUT WITH THEM.
'CAUSE I GREW UP WITH THEIR KID, WITH THEIR KIDS.
SO I REMEMBER BEING IN, IN, UH, THE SHOP BACK THERE WITH, UH, MARK AND MILTON WAYNE AND LEARNING HOW TO PRESS CLOTHES AND, AND, AND I WAS LIKE, THIS IS PRETTY COOL.
SO, BUT, UH, UNCLE MILTON'S LIKE, WHAT ARE Y'ALL DOING BACK HERE? GET OUTTA HERE FOR YOUR MESS.
WE DIDN'T KNOW WE WAS MESSING UP SOMEBODY'S CLOTHES.
SO,
CAN YOU TELL US SOMETHING THAT WAS SIGNIFICANT ABOUT MILTON WAYNE? ANYBODY? MILTON? MILTON.
MILTON AND MY SISTER WERE CLASSMATES.
AND MILTON, VERY ENERGETIC, VERY STUDIOUS INDIVIDUAL.
MILTON MILTON'S PET HOBBY WAS COLLECTING GTO AUTOMOBILES, PONTIAC GTOS.
HE, I DON'T KNOW, MILTON HAD SEVEN TO EIGHT GTOS STORED, RESTORED AND GARAGED.
[00:55:02]
VERY STUDIOUS YOUNG MAN, BECAME A PHARMACIST, AND WAS A VERY RE RENOWNED PHARMACIST UNTIL, UNTIL HIS DEATH, BUT I'M GONNA GO BACK TO HIS DAD.MR. MILTON WAS, WAS A PROFESSIONAL TAILOR.
AND I'M GONNA GO BACK A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.
UH, I'M DATING MYSELF, BUT THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
HE, MR. MILTON MADE THE CLOTHES FOR BARRY'S BARRY'S CLOTHING MANUFACTURER FACTORY STORE IN RICHARDSON, TEXAS.
BUT BY SCRATCH, HE, MR. MILTON MADE RACKS OF CLOTHINGS, MEN'S, MEN'S SUITS, SPORT COATS, PANTS, AS WELL AS LADIES APPAREL.
MR. MILTON WOULD, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN WE WENT TO MCKINNEY HIGH BEFORE IT WAS MCKINNEY HIGH, WHEN IT WAS MC, ACTUALLY WHEN IT WAS MCKINNEY BOYD MM-HMM
FOR THOSE THAT DIDN'T KNOW THAT, THE BOYD NOW IS NOT THE ORIGINAL BOY.
AND ACTUALLY THEY WERE THE BOYD LIONS BACK THEN.
MR. MILTON, THE, THE OLD, WE, WE, WE WE'RE TELLING UNTOLD STORIES HERE TONIGHT, YOU KNOW, AND JUST BRINGING REAL REALISM OUT TO WHAT IT WAS TO WHERE WE ARE NOW.
FOR THOSE THAT NEVER, NEVER KNEW, THIS IS A TIME FOR US TO KNOW SO WE WON'T FORGET AND REPEAT HISTORY FURTHER ON DOWN AS WE SEE THINGS HAPPENING NOW.
WHEN, WHEN THE BAND UNIFORMS BECAME, SO THE, AT MCKINNEY BOYD, THEY WERE BROUGHT TO DOTY AND MR. HAM HAD TO REFIT, HE HAD TO REFIT ALL THOSE BAND UNIFORMS THAT CAME FROM MCKINNEY BOYD TO MAKE THEM PRESENTABLE FOR THE DOTY BAND TO PERFORM IN MARCH.
MR. MILTON WAS A, HE, HE WAS THE TAILOR OF MCKINNEY TEXAS.
AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, HIS SHOP WAS RIGHT DOWN THE STREET.
I THINK THAT THE SECOND ONE, BECAUSE HIS FIRST ONE WAS ON HIGHWAY FIVE.
TO HIGHWAY FIVE TO FROM HIGHWAY FIVE TO HIS OWN OKAY.
SHOP JUST DOWN HERE, RIGHT DOWN THE STREET.
I THINK WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT UNTOLD STORIES, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT'S KIND OF BEHIND THE SCENES, UM, I'LL SAY THIS, THERE ARE PROBABLY THREE MEN THAT REALLY INFLUENCED MY LIFE.
UH, MILTON DOUGLAS WAS ONE OF THEM.
AND MR. JESSE MCGOWAN WAS THE THIRD THAT REALLY PLAYED A BIG INFLUENCE ON MY LIFE.
BUT THE IMPORTANCE, UH, TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY OF DOUGLAS TAYLOR SHOP WAS THIS, UM, WHEN WE GO DOWNTOWN MCKINNEY, THE BUILDINGS THAT WE SEE NOW, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF 'EM ARE RESTAURANTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
YOU DON'T SEE THE SIGNS THAT SAYS WOOL WOOLWORTH.
UH, YOU DON'T SEE THE STYLE SHOP.
BUT WE WERE NOT ALLOWED TO TRY ON CLOTHES IN THESE STORES.
SO IT WAS EITHER A TAILOR SHOP IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY OR YOUR PARENTS THAT ALTERED YOUR CLOTHES.
BECAUSE ALL THEY YOU WERE ALLOWED TO DO WAS STAND STILL, SON, STAND STILL, BOY, LET ME PUT THESE CLOTHES UP TO YOU.
SEE IF THEY'RE GOING TO POSSIBLY FIT.
AND WE'LL DO THE ALTERATIONS WHEN WE GET HOME.
SO WE WEREN'T, WE WEREN'T ALLOWED TO DO THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UH, THE ENTREPRENEURS THAT WERE IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY, TAILOR SHOPS, BARBER SHOPS, WERE THINGS THAT WE WERE NOT ALLOWED, UH, TO CROSS HIGHWAY FIVE.
UH, EVEN TO GO TO THE RESTAURANTS.
AND IF WE DID, UH, BLACKS HAD TO SIT IN THE BACK IN A AREA, BUT THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED.
SO, UM, MILTON DOUGLAS PROVIDED ALONG WITH OTHER ENTREPRENEURS IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY SERVICES THAT WERE VERY MUCH NEEDED.
SO IN THAT SAME VEIN, AS FAR AS ENTREPRENEURS GO,
[01:00:01]
PASTOR WATLEY, CAN YOU SHARE ONE THAT IS NEAR AND DEAR TO YOUR HEART IN YOUR FAMILY?THAT'S WHAT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT.
WELL, I, I THINK THAT THAT, THAT, THAT USUALLY GOES UNSAID BECAUSE WHEN, UM, YOU MENTIONED MY FATHER'S NAME, EVERYBODY ATTACHES HIM TO CITY COUNCIL.
BUT, UM, MY DAD WAS A, A, A BARBER.
AND WHEN THEY CLOSED UP THE VA HOSPITAL, HE ACTUALLY SUPPORTED OUR FAMILY OUT OF HIS BARBERSHOP.
UH, HE CHOSE NOT TO GO TO BONHAM.
UH, BUT HE SUPPORTED HIS FAMILY.
AND A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, I WAS ASKED TO BE A SPEAKER AT MCKINNEY JOB CORPS.
AND SO I KIND OF LOOKED INTO THE HISTORY OF MCKINNEY JOB CORPS.
AND BEFORE IT WAS MCKINNEY JOB CORPS, IT WAS ACTUALLY A HOSPITAL VETERANS HOSPITAL.
VA VA MY DAD WORKED AT, AS A COOK AT THE VETERANS HOSPITAL.
AND BEFORE IT WAS THE VETERANS HOSPITAL.
IT WAS ANOTHER HOSPITAL THERE.
AND THE GUY THAT WAS THE HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR, HIS LAST NAME WAS ASPIRIN.
AND AFTER, UH, LOOKING INTO THAT, I WISH THAT I COULD TALK TO MY DAD BECAUSE I DIDN'T, UNDER MY DAD HAD A ASPIRIN'S ICE CREAM, UH, PARLOR M MCKINNEY, UM, NEXT TO HIS BARBERSHOP.
AND THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT SOLD THAT ICE CREAM WERE FAMILIES OF THE ASHBURN.
YOU HAD TO BE A FAMILY MEMBER.
AND HOW MY DAD GOT ONE, I'LL NEVER KNOW.
BUT BECAUSE WE WERE WATLEY'S, WE WEREN'T ASHBURN,
BECAUSE THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THAT HOSPITAL, HIS NAME WAS ASHBURN, AND I SAID, WILLIE JAMES SOMEHOW MET HIM BECAUSE THEY GAVE HIM AN ICE CREAM, UH, PART OF HERE IN MCKINNEY.
UH, AND HE WAS NOT PART OF THE FAMILY.
SO THAT TIES PROBABLY INTO FAITH, WHICH OUR COMMUNITY HAS BEEN A VERY STRONG FAITH COMMUNITY.
AND SO LET'S TALK ABOUT PASSION WEEK.
WHAT COMES UP, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT PASSION WEEK? WHAT COMES TO MIND? CHRISTIANS COMING TOGETHER TO WORSHIP CHRIST.
UH, I ACTUALLY WILL NEVER FORGET THE PASSION WEEK SERVICES BECAUSE I SERVED ON THE BOARD, OR THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, OR WHATEVER YOU CALL IT FOR OH, 50 YEARS.
PASTOR, SOMEWHERE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT WAS, AND THIS IS FOR THE CHURCHES.
I'M THE OTHER YOUNG ONE ON HERE.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG
CAN YOU TELL US WHAT, WHAT HAPPENED DURING PASSION WEEK? WELL, DURING PASSION WEEK, THE FIVE OR SIX CHURCHES WOULD COME TOGETHER.
WE WOULD MOVE AROUND FROM CHURCH TO CHURCH EACH NIGHT TO WHOLE SERVICES.
AND ON SUNDAY, ON EASTER, EASTER SUNDAY OR SUNRISE, SUNDAYS, WE REFER TO IT.
SOMETIMES, UH, WE WOULD HA WE WOULD ALL COME TOGETHER AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME AND PRAISE THE LORD FOR HIS RISING ON THAT DAY.
AND IT, IT WAS ALWAYS INSPIRING TO ME BECAUSE IT WAS CHRISTIAN PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER ON A COMMON GROUND.
THERE WAS NO BAPTIST, NO METHODIST, NO CHURCH OF CHRIST, NO CATHOLIC, NOTHING.
EVERYBODY THAT WAS THERE FOR ONE PURPOSE WAS TO WORSHIP GOD AND THANK HIM FOR HIS COMING AND DYING ON CAVALRY'S CROSS THAT GIVES ALL OF US, ME, YOU, WHITE, BLACK, BLUE, BROWN, BIG LITTLE ANYTHING, A RIGHT TO THE TREE OF LIFE.
AND I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING THAT'S ANY GREATER, THAT IS MY, THAT IS MY BELIEF.
AND I, I MUST SAY THAT EVERY TIME THAT, UH, BECAUSE GOD HAS BEEN GOOD TO ME, Y'ALL, ALL OF US.
ALL HE'S BLESSED ME IN SO MANY, MANY WAYS.
AND I MUST SAY THAT BECAUSE HE HAS, HE BLESSED ME, FIRST OF ALL WITH I THINK THE GREATEST MOTHER AND DADDY THAT EVER EXISTED BECAUSE THEY PLANTED IN ME THE SEED THAT EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY IS GOD'S CHILDREN.
AND THAT THE BLOOD THAT RUNS THROUGH YOUR VEINS ARE THE SAME KIND OF BLOOD THAT RUNS THROUGH THE WHITE VEIN, THE BROWN VEIN, THE CHINESE VEIN, ALL OF OUR VEINS.
AND THAT YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH IF YOU JUST STRIVE FOR IT AND YOU LET GOD USE
[01:05:01]
YOU.UH, BETH TALKED TO, TO ME AS A PEACEMAKER, AND SHE'S RIGHT, BECAUSE FROM MY EARLY CHILDHOOD, GOD PLANTED IN MY HEART TO BE A PEACEMAKER.
AND THAT'S WHAT I STRIVE FOR ALL THE TIME, IS TO BRING PEACE AND JOY TO THE PEOPLE THAT I WAS SURROUNDED WITH.
THIS IS THE WAY THAT I LOOKED AT MY STUDENTS.
THOSE STUDENTS WERE MY CHILDREN WHILE THEY WERE UNDER MY SUPERVISION.
AS MUCH AS I LOVE MY DAUGHTER WHO IS SITTING THERE, AND I KNOW THAT OUR HEARTS BLEED SOMETIMES ABOUT IT, BECAUSE SOME OF THE TIMES I KNOW THAT PROBABLY SHE WANTED ME TO BE THERE.
THAT I WAS WITH REVEREND WATLEY.
I WAS WITH MAURICE, OR I WAS WITH LINDA, OR I, I WAS WITH WHERE ARE YOU BACK HERE, BECKY? UH, ALL RIGHT.
BECKY, WILL, UH, WHAT'S YOUR NAME BE? WHAT'S YOUR, I, MY BETTY.
YOU SEE THESE GRAY HAIRS? I HAVE
I, I, I, I, I JUST HAD TO SAY THAT.
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE AN AGENDA HERE, BUT I, I HAD TO SAY THAT BECAUSE IT WAS A GOOD PEOPLE, IT WAS A GOOD PEOPLE IN MCKINNEY THAT, THAT, THAT HELPED ME TO BE WHATEVER I AM.
AND I, AND I REMEMBER THEIR NAMES AND I REMEMBER THEIR FACES AND, AND THEY, THEY TOOK ME IN AND THEY, AND THEY SUPPORTED ME.
UH, YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES THAT I HAD TO WHILE I WAS COACHING AND I DIDN'T PLAY THE RIGHT PEOPLE, THAT I WOULD HAVE THE PARENTS TO APPROACH ME AND WANT TO GO TAKE ME OUT ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD AND FIGHT.
I OWN THE PARKING LOT THAT I HAD TO RESTRAIN MYSELF BECAUSE I WAS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE.
IF YOU WANTED TO FIGHT, I'D FIGHT.
YOU KNOW, THAT YOU CAN'T DO THAT IF YOU'RE GONNA SAY THAT YOU'RE MY CHILD AND THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO EXEMPLIFY.
SO I HAD TO BE THAT PEACEMAKER AT ALL TIMES.
AND UH, WHERE ELSE DID WE GO? SAMMY JOSEPHINE AND ALL BACK IN THAT EAST TEXAS.
BECAUSE SEE, THE BLACK STUDENTS DID NOT HAVE A WHITE SCHOOL THAT THEY COULD ATTEND TO AT THAT TIME.
SEE, THAT'S ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE.
THEY HAD TO COME ALL THE WAY FROM THESE DISTANCES TO ATTEND HIGH SCHOOL.
AND I SPENT MANY NIGHTS CARRYING THEM BACKERS AND FORTH, AND STUDENTS WOULD RIDE WITH ME ON THE BUSES AND THINGS.
THIS IS, THIS IS THE HISTORY I THINK THAT WE ARE REFERRING TO TONIGHT AND WHAT WE'RE RIGHT, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS SOME OF THE INJUSTICES THAT HAVE GONE ON, AND WE'RE HOPING THAT IT DOESN'T OCCUR AGAIN.
THAT WE CAN FIND A NEW PATH, A NEW WAY TO BRING IN JUSTICE AND, AND EQUALITY TO EACH AND EVERYONE.
AND I DON'T KNOW, AS I SAID A WHILE AGO, GOD HAS BEEN GOOD TO ME AND I GIVE HIM THE GLORY AND THE PRAISE FOR, FOR BEING A PART OF MY LIFE AND LEADING AND DIRECTING ME IN THE WAY THAT HE WANTED ME TO GO.
AND SINCE YOU MENTIONED MR. SAM ALLEN, CAN, WHO CAN TELL US WHO THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MR. SAM ALLEN TO MCKINNEY? IT WAS.
I WAS THE, I WAS THE ONE WHO IN TROUBLE ALL THE TIME.
TELL US WHO MR. SAM ALLEN IS TO MCKINNEY OFFICER, SIR.
HOW YOU DOING SIR?
LIKE I SAID, HE WAS THE FIRST BLACK POLICE OFFICER FROM MCKINNEY POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND ALSO NEXT TO MR. ALLEN IS MR. PAUL ALLEN.
THIS IS PAUL ALLEN THAT, UH, GREW UP, THEY GREW UP IN ALLEN, BUT THEY CAME TO DOTY BECAUSE JUST AS MR. MCGOWAN SAID, THEY SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES ATTENDED DOTY AND THEY AS BROTHERS, THEY BOTH ARE PART OF, UH, THOSE WHO DO REENACTMENTS OF THE BUFFALO SOLDIERS.
YOU'LL SEE OUT ON THE TABLE, UH, SOME HISTORY ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
SO WE THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
MISSING I, UH, ALSO FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN AGRICULTURE RIGHT
[01:10:03]
BEFORE THE MASS INTEGRATION.FIRST THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN IN THE AG DEPARTMENT.
WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH A COUPLE MORE SPEEDS.
FIFTH, COULD I, COULD I JUST SAY THIS? YES, SIR.
UM, 'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO NEXT, BUT MM-HMM
I THINK THAT, UH, 'CAUSE YOU TALKED ABOUT PASSION WEEK AND THEN WE MOVE TO FAITH MM-HMM
AND THAT HAS BEEN THE BACKBONE AND THE PILLAR YES.
OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY IS FAITH.
AND WHEN WE START LOOKING AT OUR COMMUNITIES AND START SAYING, WHAT HAS GONE WRONG WITH OUR COMMUNITIES? WE CAN LOOK AT, WE HAVE LOST OUR IDENTITY.
BECAUSE IF YOU READ IN JOSHUA CHAPTER FOUR, IT SAYS THAT WHEN GOD CROSSED THEM OVER, HE TOLD JOSHUA AND THE MEN TO GO BACK AND TAKE 12 STONES.
AND HE SAYS, WHEN YOUR CHILDREN ASK YOU WHAT THESE STONES MEAN, TELL 'EM.
IT'S HOW GOD CROSSED YOU OVER.
AND NOW WE LOOK AT IT AS THAT WE HAVE MADE IT OVER AND WE'VE FORGOTTEN HOW WE MADE IT.
AND THAT IS, HAS MADE THE DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITIES BECAUSE WE'VE FORGOTTEN HOW WE MADE IT OVER.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL, MOST OF THE BLACK INSTITUTIONS THAT HAVE WEATHERED THE STORM, LIKE THE NAACP, THEIR FOUNDATION WAS IN THE BLACK CHURCH.
AUNT WILMA WAS MY FIRST TEACHER.
SHE WAS A MEMBER OF THE UNITED COUNCIL OF CHURCH WOMEN BACK IN THE FIFTIES.
AND I THINK HER GRANDDAUGHTER AND ME, HER GRANDSON, HER YOUNGEST GRANDDAUGHTER, LARRY, WERE SOME OF THE FIRST TO ATTEND.
IT WAS CALLED CITY NURSERY SCHOOL.
AND IT WAS LOCATED IN FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, WHICH WAS ON RAILROAD STREET, THEN NANCE DREXEL.
BUT SHE WAS THE FOUNDER, SHE WAS A BUSINESS WOMAN.
AND SHE FORMED THE NURSERY SCHOOL, WHICH LATER BECAME UNITED DAY NURSERY SCHOOL.
AND WHAT EXISTS TODAY THAT BEARS HER NAME THAT EXISTS BECAUSE SHE WAS THAT WALEY PARK.
SO I'M GONNA THROW OUT ONE MORE AND LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
SPEED BUSINESSES, WE'RE GONNA START IT OFF.
YOUR BEAUTY SALON READS FUNERAL HOME.
ANYTHING ELSE? YOU RIGHT THERE.
HEY MAN, I WAS BUSY DOING, OH MY.
WELL, I MIGHT BE SPEAKING TO AUDIENCES WHO DON'T REALLY KNOW ABOUT JUKE BOXES.
NOT JUKE JOINTS,
AND HE HAD, HE HAD, HE'D CORNERED THE MARKET ALL THROUGH COLLIN COUNTY.
WHERE WAS IT LOCATED? SAY AGAIN? WHERE WAS IT LOCATED? ON TH THORTON, MORTON.
DO JUST DOWN FROM DO WASHINGTON.
WHAT ELSE WAS ACROSS THE STREET FROM DOTY? FOR THOSE THAT AREN'T FAMILIAR, DOTY, IF YOU RIGHT OUT HERE IS THROT MORTON STREET.
IF YOU JUST GO DOWN, NOT EVEN A CITY BLOCK.
YOU'LL SEE DOTY 500, THROT MORTON.
[01:15:01]
BEFORE, JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF DOTY, WHAT WAS THERE? WELL, I WENT, SOMEBODY PUT SOMETHING ELSE.WHAT ELSE WAS, UH, YOU HAD MR. YOU HAD BARBERSHOP.
YOU HAD, OKAY, YOU HAD, WHAT ELSE DID MISS NANCY'S BEAUTY SALON.
AND LATER ON YOU HAD MR. HERMAN HOLLY'S HAMBURGER.
WE, OH, AND THEN REVEREND BAILEY HAD IT.
REVEREND BAILEY HAD IT AND THEN REVEREND JAGER HAD IT.
WAS THERE A FUNERAL HOME OVER THERE TOO? THE FUNERAL HOME WAS DOWN ON, THAT'S ON NETTE STREET IN, IN HOWARD.
AND THEN YOU HAD ONE, THEN YOU HAD ONE DOTY FUNERAL HOME RIGHT BACK.
THEN YOU HAD DOTY'S FUNERAL HOME.
BUT YOU HAD JOHNSON'S FUNERAL HOME ON RAILROAD.
AND IT WAS IN RAILROAD STREET.
SO YOU SEE, AND HERE THAT VERY SELF-SUSTAINING, YOU COULD LIVE AND DIE AND BE JUST FINE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
AND AND PARTY ON THE WEEKENDS AND, AND BE FED.
WELL, CHURCH, WELL, YOU COULD BUILD YOUR FAITH, YOU COULD RAISE CHILDREN, YOU COULD EDUCATE YOUR CHILDREN.
ALL ON THE EAST SIDE OF MCKINNEY.
YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, AS, AS, AS I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS, THIS, THAT WE CAME HERE TONIGHT, WE CAN SAY THIS AREA, ALL THE EAST SIDE OF MCKENNA FROM HIGHWAY FIVE, EAST FROM THREE 80 TO WILCOX, WHAT WE SAY TO INDUSTRIAL BOULEVARD NOW MM-HMM
WE, WE COULD, WE COULD CONSIDER THIS MCKINNEY'S, WALL STREET, BLACK WALL STREET, BECAUSE IT WAS VERY SELF SUSTAIN.
THE ONLY THING IT DIDN'T HAVE WAS THE BANK, BUT WE HAD PEOPLE THAT WERE YOUR BANKERS.
WE NEED TO SCRATCH THAT FROM THE NO
SO IF YOU WONDER HOW PEOPLE MADE IT, MADE IT BY FAITH AND MADE IT BY COMMUNITY.
AND IF YOU WONDER HOW WE ALL KNOW EACH OTHER, SO SOME OF YOU'RE PROBABLY, HOW DO THEY KNOW THOSE, THESE THINGS? WE WERE ALWAYS TOGETHER.
SO IT WAS NOTHING FOR US TO LEAVE CHURCH AND GO TO ANOTHER CHURCH.
AF RIGHT AFTER CHURCH EVERY SUNDAY WE WERE WITH EACH OTHER.
AND THOSE THAT WERE IN SCHOOL, NOT ONLY DID SCHOOL TOGETHER, BUT THEY DID LIFE TOGETHER EVERY DAY.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA GET INTO SOME OF THAT.
SO BEFORE, SO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE, THE SPEED DATING ON THE TERMS. UM, IF YOU COULD, AND JUST VERY, JUST VERY BRIEFLY INTRODUCE US TO EITHER, EITHER ONE PARENT OR BOTH.
AND BY DOING IT, HELP US UNDERSTAND THEIR LEGACY TO THE COMMUNITY.
I'LL, I DON'T INTRODUCE MY DAD, LEONARD EVANS.
AND I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE, THE, UH, FIRST HE WAS THE FIRST BLACK TEACHER TO INTEGRATE.
I WAS PROBABLY IN MY, IN THE SECOND OR THIRD GRADE.
AND MY SISTER, SHE'S, SHE'S ALREADY GONE, BUT SHE'S PROBABLY IN THE FIRST GRADE.
AND, UH, SO WE, WE HAD A TYPICAL FAMILY.
WE HAD A STATION WAGON WITH THE WOOD ON THE SIDE.
AND, UM, WE WENT TO FANNY FINCH SOUTH WARD.
AND IF YOU REMEMBER DURING THAT TIME, THIS IS IN THE EARLY SIXTIES, SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE NEWS ALMOST EVERY NIGHT THERE WAS LIKE PEOPLE, BLACK MEN HAD BEEN HOLES WITH WATER HOSES AND FIRE HOSES AND DOGS PUT ON THEM.
AND SO AS A, UH, I WAS SITTING WITH THE LITTLE KID IN THE FRONT.
I WAS A BOY, BUT, YOU KNOW, I WAS PROBABLY ABOUT A LITTLE BIT BIGGER THAN THAT.
AND I'M THINKING, OH, SO MY DAD'S LEAVING DOTY.
THAT'S, I, THAT'S MY COMFORT ZONE TO GO TO THIS SCHOOL.
AND THERE WERE SIGNS IN THE PARKING LOT AND UH, YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAID? YEAH.
BUT, UM, HE SAID, HE TOLD MY MOM, HE SAID, WELL, ALRIGHT BABY, I LOVE YOU.
[01:20:02]
WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T STOP.AND AS A KID IT WAS, I WAS LIKE, WHAT DO YOU MEAN? BUT IT WAS, WAS THAT SCARY? BUT, YOU KNOW, BUT THANKS, THANKS BE TO GOD.
THE PEOPLE THERE WERE MM-HMM
CHRISTIAN PEOPLE, WHITE, BLACK, THEY ACCEPTED HIM IN EVERYTHING WAS FINE.
BUT AS A KID I WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, AND YOU KNOW, IF, IF Y'ALL KNOW US, LIKE COACH SAID WE'RE, I'M, I'M A PRETTY PEACEFUL GUY, BUT YOU KNOW, UNTIL, UNTIL IF THEY'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING TO MY DAD, YOU KNOW, AND Y'ALL KNOW MY BROTHER, Y'ALL KNOW HIM.
IF HE, IF IT WAS ON, IT WAS ABOUT TO BE ON, YOU KNOW, SO, BUT MM-HMM.
AND WE OWE A HUGE DEBT OF GRATITUDE TO COACH EVANS AND TO MR. MCGOWAN FOR THE TRAILS THAT THEY BLAZED IN THIS COMMUNITY.
BEING THE FIRST, IT'S ONE THING TO, TO SAY I'LL DO IT, BUT IT'S ANOTHER THING TO DO IT TO TAKE IT ON.
I WANNA SAY SOMETHING ABOUT COACH EVANS THAT RALPH DIDN'T SAY AS BEING AN ENTREPRENEUR WHEN HE RETIRED FROM TEACHING.
IF YOU LEARN HOW TO DRIVE A CAR.
AND YOU ALSO LEARNED MATH WHILE YOU WERE LEARNING HOW TO DRIVE.
WHO ELSE WANTS TO INTRODUCE PARENTS? OKAY.
MY, I'M, WELL, I, I'VE ALREADY KINDA SAID SOMETHING ABOUT, ABOUT MY PARENTS, BUT TO JUST KIND OF SHOW YOU MY MOM AND DAD AND, YOU KNOW, BOYS ARE ALWAYS GOING TO LOVE MOTHER MORE THAN DAD.
MOTHER GOING TO ALWAYS COME FIRST.
BUT MY, MY, MY DAD WAS RUNNING A VERY, VERY CLOSE SECOND.
MY DAD WORKED AT GENERAL ELECTRIC.
AND WHAT MY DAD WOULD DO, HE WOULD BRING THE GOODS THAT THEY WOULD THROW OUT AND SAY WAS NO GOOD.
HE WOULD BRING THEM HOME AND REPAIR 'EM.
AND IF HE KNEW THAT SOMEONE NEEDED SOMETHING, A TOASTER OR AN IRON OR, OR ANYTHING FAN, HE WOULD GIVE IT TO HIM.
HE HAD A BENEVOLENT HEART LIKE THAT.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S WHERE I RECEIVED MY BENEVOLENT HEART FROM HIM BEING LIKE THAT HE LOVED TO GIVE TO PEOPLE AND TO HELP PEOPLE.
AND MY MOTHER, WELL MY MOTHER WAS THE DISCIPLINARIAN, REALLY.
SHE WOULD WHIP YOU AND SAY, BABY, IT'S HURTING ME MORE THAN IT'S HURTING YOU.
AND SHE WAS ONE OF THESE KIND OF PEOPLE.
WHATEVER WAS AT HAND SHE USED, WHICH MADE A GOOD BELIEVER OUT OF ME,
BUT MY MOTHER, MY, MY, MY MOTHER WAS THE, THE, THE KIND OF PERSON, YOU SEE ME SMILE ALL THE TIME.
I SAY, I GOT THE SMILE FROM MY MOTHER BECAUSE SHE ALWAYS SMILED.
WHATEVER SHE WAS DOING, SHE MIGHT BE BEATING YOU TO DEATH.
BUT THESE ARE, THESE ARE THE TWO GREATEST PEOPLE IN MY LIFE, IS MY MOM AND MY DAD.
BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THEY ESTABLISHED THE GROUND THAT THE GOOD LORD HAD PUT IN ME.
AND ALL THAT THEY DID WAS MOLD IT AND MAKE IT TO HELP ME TO GROW, TO BE WHATEVER I AM RIGHT NOW.
AND I, AS I ALWAYS SAY, AND I'LL ALWAYS SAY IT, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO OR WHAT.
NOW, I DON'T CARE WHO IT BOTHERS.
AND IT'S BECAUSE OF HIM THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO WHATEVER I'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO.
AND, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS THINK ABOUT ROOTS OF THE SPIRIT.
THE FIRST TWO IS LOVE, AND THE SECOND ONE IS JOY.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'VE ALWAYS TRIED TO DEMONSTRATE BECAUSE IT CAME FROM MY MOM AND MY DAD BECAUSE THEY LOVED ME AND MY SIBLINGS.
NOT ONLY ME AND MY SIBLINGS, BUT THE COMMUNITY.
BECAUSE MY DAD WAS THE ONE WHO I'M TALKING ABOUT THAT HAD THE COMMUNITY GARDEN THAT HE WOULD PLANT.
[01:25:01]
DEATH ON PLANTING IT AND GETTING YEAH.BUT HE, HE, WHEN HE FINISHED WITH WHAT HE WANTED TO DO WITH IT, HE MADE SURE THAT HE SHARED IT WITH EVERYONE ELSE IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO I THANK GOD FOR BOTH OF THEM.
SO WE'RE GOING TO, WE HAVE ABOUT MAYBE 15 MINUTES TO GO THROUGH.
WE'RE NOT GONNA MAKE ALL THE QUESTIONS, THAT'S JUST, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO THAT.
BUT I WANT, WE WANNA HEAR, WE WANNA HEAR YOUR INTRODUCTION OF YOUR, YOUR FAMILY MEMBER OR BOTH.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GET INTO SOME INTEGRATION PIECES INTO MCKINNEY HIGH INTO, SO WHO WANTS TO, I'LL DO ANOTHER INTRO.
MY MOTHER WAS BORN AND RAISED IN MCKINNEY.
I THINK SHE WAS BORN IN THE RUN IN A HOUSE.
BUT, UH, SHE WOULD WALK FROM THE RUN TO DOTY TO SCHOOL.
I'M TELLING YOU, SHE HAD A JACKET THAT SHE, UH, HAD RECEIVED FROM PLAYING BASKETBALL AND SHE WORE IT UNTIL IT SHREDDED.
AND SHE WAS SO PROUD OF THAT JACKET.
AND SHE INSTILLED GETTING A GOOD EDUCATION.
BUT, AND MY DAD WAS THE FIRST BLACK MAN TO WORK AT SAFEWAY WHEN IT WAS ON TENNESSEE STREET.
HE INTEGRATED THAT STORE AND IT WASN'T EASY.
WHO WANTS TO GO? WELL, MY DAD, MY DAD WAS THE, THE FIRST AND ONLY BLACK PHOTOGRAPHER IN THE CITY OF MCKINNEY.
AND, AND THE REASON WHY I SAY THE ONLY, AND THERE HADN'T BEEN ANOTHER ONE SINCE, BASICALLY BECAUSE DURING THE TIME THAT BASICALLY ALL OF US CAME UP, UM, BLACKS COULD NOT GO TO A PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO TO, TO GET PICTURES.
AND SO MY DAD, HE DID PICTURES FOR, FOR EVERYONE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
AND, AND MY DAD DID SOMETHING VERY UNIQUE FOR THE SIMPLE FACT BACK THEN THERE WERE PICTURES LIKE THIS WE SEE RIGHT UP HERE.
AND IF MY DAD HAD TAKEN THAT PICTURE, HE WOULD'VE HAD THAT PICTURE IN COLOR AND HE WOULD'VE GOT IT IN COLOR BY DOING ALL PAINTING.
HE WOULD'VE, HE WOULD'VE GOT THE DESCRIPTION AND COLOR OF EVERY PERSON IN THAT PICTURE AND MADE IT EXACTLY LIKE THEY WORE IT.
MY DAD ALSO WORKED AT THE VA, WHICH REM WALEY MENTIONED OUT ON 1701 NORTH CHURCH STREET.
AND MY DAD, MY DAD RESEARCHED CANCER.
AND THE VERY DISTURBING THING ABOUT WHAT HE DID WAS HE RESEARCHED CANCER.
AND HE TALKED ABOUT HOW HE RESEARCHED A CURE FOR CANCER IN WHICH IS NOT TOLD TODAY BECAUSE IF, IF WE REALLY SEARCHED, THERE IS A CURE FOR IT.
AND, BUT MY DAD COULD NOT GET THE CREDIT FOR IT.
HE HAD TO TURN ALL HIS RESEARCH IN HIS NOTES OVER TO, I GUESS YOU YOU'LL SAY THE HEAD DOCTOR THERE AND GOT NO CREDIT FOR, FOR THE WORK THAT HE DID.
MY MOM, MY MOM WAS SORT OF LIKE, MISS WAS SORT OF LIKE MISS MILDRED
MY MOM WAS SMILE IN YOUR FACE, SMILE AT YOU UNTIL YOU, BUT SHE WOULD TEAR YOU UP.
AND SHE WAS, SHE HAD HER WAY OF DOING WHAT SHE DID AND WHAT SHE SAID.
BUT SHE WAS VERY, SHE WAS SMART, BUT SHE WAS VERY STERN.
AND THOSE TWO TOGETHER, THEY WERE TWO ODDS IN A WAY.
BUT I GUESS IT TAKES A PLUS AND A MINUS.
WE'RE TALKING MATHEMATICS HERE NOW.
AND THAT'S, AND THAT WAS, THAT WAS THEM.
WHO'S BOOKENDS? I KNOW EVERY MAURICE KEEPS LOOKING DOWN HERE.
AND, UM, SOME STORIES OF, OF OR PERSONAL.
AND, UM, I HEARD, UH, BISHOP TD JAKE SAY ONE TIME, UM, YOU DON'T KNOW MY STORY.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT MY GRANDFATHER WAS A HOG FARMER.
HE QUIT SCHOOL AND JOINED THE ARMY.
THE ONLY PLACE HE COULD GET A JOB
[01:30:02]
WAS THE VA HOSPITAL.WHAT MY DAD GAVE ME AND HIS STORY IS A STORY THAT I HOPE EVERYBODY CAN TAKE SOMETHING AWAY FROM, ESPECIALLY THE YOUNG PEOPLE HERE.
IT'LL MAKE YOU REST GOOD AT NIGHT, BUT IT WILL NOT KILL YOU.
AND IT WAS NOTHING FOR MY DAD TO WORK TWO AND THREE JOBS.
AND FOR YEARS I WORKED TWO JOBS.
SO MY DAD'S STORY IS NOT LIKE A LOT OF STORIES UP HERE ON THIS DIET.
MY DAD WAS JUST A HARDWORKING GUY AND HE TOOK THE BEST OF A BAD SITUATION.
UM, HE GOT HIS GED HE PUT HIMSELF THROUGH COLLEGE AT NIGHT AND HE ENDED UP BEING THE FIRST BLACK CITY COUNCILMAN IN MCKINNEY, TEXAS.
UM, MY PARENTS WERE EDUCATORS.
AS, AS EVERYBODY HAS MENTIONED, UM, I COULD TELL STORIES JUST LIKE RALPH ABOUT WHEN WE DESEGREGATED AND THEY WENT THROUGH AND MY PARENTS NEVER LED ON TO ME AS A KID GROWING UP HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS TO DESEGREGATE MCKINNEY.
PEOPLE SAY NO, IT, WE, THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT WENT ON.
UM, I LOOK BACK AND, AND I, I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR MY MOM AND MY DAD.
UM, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT I'M VERY PLEASED 'CAUSE MY DAD PASSED WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG, BUT I DID NOT KNOW HE INSTILLED A LOT OF STUFF IN ME UNTIL I GOT OLDER AND UNDERSTOOD.
THERE WAS SOME THINGS THAT HE PUT SOME SEEDS THAT HE PUT IN ME WHEN I WAS A KID AND DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT.
SO I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR THAT.
UM, MY DAD WAS A, UH, UNIQUE INDIVIDUAL.
UM, MUSIC, ELECTRONICS, MATHEMATICS.
UM, I, I WAS, I, I TELL PEOPLE ALL THE TIME I KNEW PHYSICS IN THE FIRST GRADE, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT, BUT I KNOW THE FIRST LAW OF PHYSICS, FOR EVERY ACTION THERE'S AN EQUAL REACTION, WHICH NORMALLY MEANT I WAS GETTING A WHOOPING
I HEARD COACH MCGOWAN SAYS THAT THIS FAMOUS SAYING, THIS IS GONNA HURT ME MORE, THEN IT'S GONNA HURT YOU.
'CAUSE I WAS GETTING THE SPANKING.
MY MOM WAS VERY MUCH THE DISCIPLINE AS WELL.
I, I, IT WAS, UM, NOT, I'M GONNA WAIT FOR YOUR DAD.
IT WAS, I'M GONNA TAKE CARE OF MYSELF.
AND, AND, AND I'M LIKE, WHATEVER WAS HANDY AT THE TIME IS WHAT I GOT MY SPANKING WITH.
UM, SO MY PARENTS WERE VERY DISCIPLINED, BUT THEY WAS ALSO VERY, MY DAD KNEW 'EM HAD A SIN.
IF YOU NOT HAVE KNOWLEDGE, KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.
IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU DO IN LIFE.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU DO THE BEST THAT YOU CAN, DO YOU BE SOMEBODY.
THAT'S WHAT MY DAD WAS TELLING ME.
BECAUSE I WAS IN TROUBLE ALL THE TIME.
I WOULD, IF IT WASN'T FOR REVEREND WATLEY'S MOTHER WHO GOT ME IN TROUBLE, MR. EVERYBODY UP HERE, PARENTS WERE WATCHING ME.
SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT A COMMUNITY AND A VILLAGE, I'M THE PRODUCT OF A VILLAGE BECAUSE EVERY PARENT COME AROUND, MAURICE, DO WE HAVE TO CALL YOUR DAD OR MOM
UH, MY PARENTS WERE VERY FUNGO.
I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT UNTIL I GOT OLDER.
UM, BUT VERY STRAIGHT DISCIPLINED RULES.
UH, WHICH WE USED TO PLAY THIS GAME.
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WITH MY, MY FOLKS WAS WHEN I GOT GROUNDED, THEY WOULD SAY, DON'T DRIVE THAT CAR.MY DAD WOULD COME IN, HE LIKE, DIDN'T I TELL YOU NOT TO DRIVE THAT CAR? I SAID, YES, SIR.
I LISTENED TO EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID, DRIVE THAT CAR.
SO I WAS GROUNDED EVEN MORE SO.
UM, A LOT OF SENSE IN THAT HOUSEHOLD.
I, I I, I LOOK AT IT AND SAY, GIVEN THE ENVIRONMENT THAT I GREW UP IN, I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR THE PARENTS AND THE COMMUNITY AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE AROUND ME THAT I GREW UP IN.
IT HELPED RAISE AND SHAPE ME BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THAT.
REVEREND WALEY ALL HAVE SAID THIS TONIGHT, WHICH WAS, WE DON'T HAVE THAT SENSE OF PRIDE IN COMMUNITY AND NONE OF THAT.
WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, I COULD BE TWO BLOCKS AWAY AND SOME I WOULD BE DOING SOMETHING AND I'LL HEAR MY NAME AND I KNOW I'M LIKE, OH, I'M FINNA GET IN TROUBLE.
MY PARENTS INSTILLED THAT IN ME THAT DO THE RIGHT THING NO MATTER WHAT.
SO IT WAS STIRRING DISCIPLINE RULES.
AND THAT'S WHY I WAS BREAKING ALL THE TIME.
THAT'S WHY I WAS SUCH A, A, A, A.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THOSE TENDER MOMENTS.
SO OUR, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TWO MORE THINGS AND WE'RE GONNA TARGET THE RESPONSES SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE MEET THE CITY'S TIME.
THE FIRST QUESTION, I'M GOING TO SEE IF THE JERS WILL RESPOND TO THIS.
IF YOU COULD WALK US THROUGH, SO THERE WERE NINE STUDENTS AT DOTY THAT INTEGRATED TO MCKINNEY HIGH SCHOOL.
THE JAGER, LARRY AND LINDA JAGER, REVEREND LARRY AND LINDA JAGER, INTEGRATED MCKINNEY HIGH.
THEY WERE PART OF THE, THE NINE.
AND IF YOU COULD WALK US THROUGH, AND IN DOING SO, IF YOU COULD PLEASE LET US KNOW, UM, THE IMPACT THAT, THAT HAD ON BEATRICE BAILEY.
WHO WAS THE FIRST SENIOR TO GRADUATE? OKAY.
WELL, FIR FIRST BEFORE WE START, YOU, YOU MENTIONED, YOU MENTIONED BEATRICE MM-HMM
AND BEATRICE WAS, BEATRICE WAS THE ONLY SENIOR IN THAT CLASS.
AND, AND, AND HER CHILDREN ARE, I HEARD RIGHT NOW, TONIGHT, I'D LIKE FOR THEM TO STAND UP.
TWO, TWO OF HER, TWO OF HER CHILDREN.
SHE, SHE WAS THE FIRST SENIOR AND BEATRICE CALLED, HELL, SHE CALLED LITERAL HELL THERE IN MCKINNEY HIGH SCHOOL IN 1964.
UH, THE OTHER EIGHT OF US, IT WASN'T SO BAD.
I MEAN, IT WAS FOR US TO TRANSITION THE WAY WE DID.
AND, AND MY REASON, I'M, I'M JUST TELL YOU MY REASON FOR GOING TO MCKINNEY HIGH.
MY REASON TO GO TO MCKINNEY HIGH, THE ONLY REASON, AND I I SAY THIS ALL THE TIME, WAS FOR ME TO SIGN MY NAME IN A TEXTBOOK.
THERE WAS NOTHING THAT I DIDN'T KNOW THAT I, THAT I HADN'T LEARNED AT DOTY HIGH SCHOOL.
SO THE ONLY THING THAT WAS FULFILLING TO ME WAS TO SIGN MY NAME IN A TEXTBOOK DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE, THE BOOKS THAT WE RECEIVED FROM BOYD, THEY WERE OUT OF ADOPTION.
THERE WAS NO PLACE FOR ME TO SIGN, NO, NO STUDENT, BASICALLY MM-HMM
SO IT WAS IN EXCESS OF 20 YEARS OLD.
AND THE TEACHERS AT DOHERTY HAD TO FILL IN FOR CHAPTERS IN THE BOOKS THAT WE HAD TO LEARN FROM THAT WERE MISSING.
AND SO THAT WAS THE ONLY REASON.
IT WAS ONLY FOR ALL OF US REALLY.
BECAUSE WE SORT OF FORMED OUR OWN PACK IN A WAY, BECAUSE WE WERE THE ONLY ONES THAT WE COULD REALLY TALK TO.
AND WHEN, WHEN WE GOT IN, WE HEARD SOME, WE HEARD SOME DEROGATORY STATEMENTS WHEN WE WALKED IN, THERE WAS NO RACE RIOTS.
I DIDN'T SEE ANY SIGNS OR ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE, BUT IT WAS, IT WAS A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE SITUATION.
BUT I, I LOOK AT, AND I THINK ABOUT
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THE LORD TAKES CARE OF HIS BABIES AND HIS FOOL.AND I DON'T KNOW IF HE LOOKED AT ME BECAUSE I WAS A BABY OR BECAUSE I WAS BEING A FOOL,
AND NOTHING, NOTHING HAPPENED TO US, NOTHING PHYSICALLY, BUT THERE WAS SOME MENTAL STUFF THAT, THAT, THAT WAS SHAKEN THERE.
UH, ME PERSONALLY, I, I WENT AS A SOPHOMORE.
WE, WE WERE TWO OF THE THREE SOPHOMORES.
AND THE COACHES CAME TO ME AND WANTED ME TO PLAY, WANTED ME TO PLAY SPORTS.
AND I TOLD 'EM I DIDN'T COME OUT HERE TO PLAY NO SPORTS.
SO, UH, THEY GOT FURIOUS FOR ME AND DIDN'T SORT OF SHUN ME AWAY AND SORT OF HOSTILE IN A WAY, BUT IT REALLY DIDN'T MATTER.
AND THE NEXT YEAR I WENT OUT, PLAYED THIRD YEAR, I WENT OUT AND PLAYED WHEN, WHEN DOTY CLOSED.
BUT, UH, AND, AND I WASN'T LIKE MR. MCGOWAN, I WASN'T A PEACEMAKER THEN
UH, I HAD AN UPPERCLASSMAN THAT SAID SOME THINGS WHEN I WAS IN A WORKSHOP AND, AND MY NAME SORT OF GOT A REPUTATION REAL GOOD.
AND THEY SORT OF BACKED OFF OF THE KID.
AND I'M GONNA LEAVE IT TO WHAT MY, ANYTHING MY WIFE MIGHT HAVE EXPERIENCED.
THE REASON I WENT, I REALLY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT INTER INTEGRATION AT THAT TIME.
BUT MY MOTHER SAID, LET'S GO TO MCKINNEY HIGH, YOU ARE GOING TO ENROLL.
SO I DID, SHE ENROLLED ME, HELPED ME CHOOSE THE CLASSES THAT I WAS GONNA TAKE.
AND THEN OTHER PEOPLE, MY FRIENDS, MY CLASSMATES FROM DOTY WOULD CALL AND SAY, HOW DID YOU GET IN? I SAID, MY MOTHER TOOK ME IN AND ENROLLED ME.
SO AFTER NINE STUDENTS ENROLLED, THEY CUT OFF THE ENROLLMENT, BUT IT WAS A VERY LONELY TIME.
BEATRICE WAS THE ONLY SENIOR BLACK FEMALE.
I WAS THE ONLY BLACK SOPHOMORE AT THE TIME.
AND ME AND BEATRICE HAD LUNCH TOGETHER.
SO WE WOULD, WE WOULD TALK, YES.
I MEAN, THERE WERE STUDENTS THAT WOULD, I WAS
ALL OF US WERE, IT, IT WAS LONELY.
I THINK WE HAD ENGLISH TOGETHER THE FIRST YEAR.
BUT AFTER THAT, THAT WAS THE ONLY CLASS THAT I HAD SOMEONE THAT LOOKED LIKE ME IN THE CLASS, I DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS GOING.
LIKE HE SAID, IT WAS MORE MENTAL BECAUSE WHO COULD YOU RELATE TO? I HATED PEP RALLIES.
I DID, I HATED TO GO TO PEP RALLIES.
AND A LOT OF TIMES IT, IT WOULD, IT WAS TOUGH MENTALLY.
WE WANNA THANK YOU BOTH OF YOU.
AND THE NINE, THANK YOUR MOM FOR BEING THE FIRST FOR ALL THAT YOU DID TO OPEN UP THE DOOR.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT? I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW ALSO BECAUSE, JUST BECAUSE OF TIME ALSO WANT TO, I ACKNOWLEDGE MS. EXCUSE ME.
I SAID I, UH, ATTENDED AGRICULTURE MM-HMM
I'M NOT TALKING NOW, BUT HIGH I RODEO NOW.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE AROUND THE CULTURE COWBOY, ESPECIALLY ANGLO COWBOY, ONE MOST CONSERV GROUP OF PEOPLE CAN BE AROUND, BUT ALSO SOME PEOPLE YOU CAN.
AND, UM, I WAS ON THE RODEO TEAM.
WE TRAVELED TO GREENVILLE, BLACK LAND, WHITE PEOPLE.
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BUT BY ME GOING TO THAT SCHOOL, MIXING WITH THOSE PEOPLE, OH, LEMME TELL YOU THIS, THE ONLY THING I I, THE SCHOOL WAS A GROUP OF GUYS, WHITE GUYS APPROACH ME AND MY RODEO TEAM WAS FIVE, SIX OF THEM ON RODEO TEAM.DIDN'T, THESE GUYS WALKED UP AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS SIGNIFICANT MENTION.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT A BAD EXPERIENCES THAT WE HAD.
THAT WAS THE ONLY BAD EXPERIENCE I HAD.
AND THIS IS BEFORE THIS BEFORE.
BUT I THOUGHT THAT WAS SIGNIFICANT MISSION THAT WE MUST TREAT PEOPLE AS MY COUSINS ARE DOWN, GRANDMOTHER AND MY GRANDMOTHER SISTERS.
AND YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR GRANDMOTHER LIKE THAT WHEN SHE WAS SMILING.
IF YOU WOULDN'T, MY GRANDMOTHER WAS LIKE THAT.
BUT I THOUGHT THAT WAS SIGNIFICANT THAT I MENTIONED THAT MY EXPERIENCE AFTER THERE CARRIED ME TO BRAVE.
YOU STILL MADE IN AGRICULTURE AND, UH, HELPED ME GET MY 40 ACRES.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CLOSE OUT, OR THE CITY IS GONNA SAY YOU NO MORE.
WE'RE Y'ALL, I WANNA, WE'RE GONNA CLOSE OUT.
WE'RE GONNA DO, BUT YOU HAVE A STATEMENT AND I'M GONNA MAKE A STATEMENT, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA CLOSE OUT WITH A A, A SONG.
YOU HAVE TWO PASTORS UP HERE, YOU GOT MM-HMM
ONLY THING THAT I WANT TO ADD TO THAT IS, AS WE HAVE TRAVELED AROUND AND WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT BLACK HISTORY OVER THE YEARS, I THINK THAT PEOPLE FORGET THAT WE TALK ABOUT THE SENIORS OR PEOPLE, UH, THAT WENT TO MCKINNEY HIGH, BUT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WERE INTEGRATED.
AND YOU TAKE A FIFTH GRADER MM-HMM
AND TAKE 'EM FROM WHERE THEY'VE BEEN NOURISHED AND PUT 'EM IN A SCHOOL, RUBY PEARSON.
AND SAY THERE'S NO BUS COMING TO PICK YOU UP.
YOU WILL HAVE TO WALK HOME AND YOU WALK THROUGH NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND IT'S JUST PART OF OUR CULTURE.
WE DIDN'T BELIEVE IN COUNSELING.
SO NOW YOU SIT ALL DAY MM-HMM.
IN A ROOM WITH PEOPLE THAT DON'T LOOK LIKE YOU, AND YOU WALK HOME THROUGH A NEIGHBORHOOD MM-HMM.
THAT DON'T LOOK LIKE YOU, OR PEOPLE THAT DON'T LOOK LIKE YOU.
AND THEN YOU GET HOME AND YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE THOSE HAPPY FEELINGS.
AND I THINK THAT THAT GETS FORGOTTEN OF ALL OF THE YOUNGER STUDENTS.
WE HAD NOBODY TO TALK TO BECAUSE OUR PARENTS IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY, YOU WENT TO SCHOOL TO GET AN EDUCATION OKAY.
AND ALL OF THAT OTHER STUFF, BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL I WENT TO EAST WARD.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT A NIGRA WAS EVERY MORNING.
I, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT.
AND SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE HAD TO DEAL WITH.
AND THERE WAS NOBODY TO TALK TO.
FOR ALL THAT YOU HAD TO ENDURE.
AND I WANT, BEFORE WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CLOSE.
OTHERWISE TORY BROWN IS GONNA COME GET ME.
BUT GO AHEAD AND SAY WHAT YOU GONNA SAY.
BEING IN HIGH SCHOOL, DOING INTEGRATION, I COULDN'T HAVE WITHSTOOD ALL THE THINGS THAT I WENT THROUGH IF I HAD NOT RECEIVED THAT FOUNDATION FROM AUNT WILMA AND ALL THE TEACHERS THAT I CAME THROUGH AT DOTY, THAT BROUGHT ME THROUGH THAT GAVE ME THAT MM.
SO WHERE I RECEIVED MY FOUNDATION FROM PREPARED ME TO DEAL WITH MCKINNEY HIGH SCHOOL.
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MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY MORE STORIES.MANY, MANY, MANY MORE STORIES TO TELL.
BUT I ALSO WANT TO JUST SHARE THIS.
WELL, EVERYBODY HAS BROUGHT IT UP THAT IT HAS TAKEN THE VILLAGE INCLUDES ALL RACES, CREEDS, COLORS.
AND IT WAS HER FATHER, MR. GEORGE WEBB.
WHO GAVE THE MOTION TO INTEGRATE THE SCHOOLS IN MCKINNEY, RIGHT? MM-HMM
BECAUSE HE, ALTHOUGH HE WAS A FEDERAL STATUTE, IT TOOK TIME FOR THAT TO TAKE PLACE.
AND HE SAID THAT WE WERE BETTER TOGETHER.
IF WE CAN'T DO IT ON EARTH, HOW ARE WE GONNA BE IN HEAVEN TOGETHER? THAT WAS THE TYPE OF MAN THAT HE WAS.
AND IF YOU, YOU'LL SEE HIS POSTER OUT THERE AS WELL.
BUT WE HAVE TO REMEMBER HIM AND SAY HIS NAME.
SO WE HAVE, UM, THERE IS, UM, A MCKINLEY, BLACK MCKINLEY, UM, THERE'S A BOOK AS WELL AS THE GAME THAT TER IS SHE HERE? SHE'S NOT ABLE TO BE HERE.
WE ANOTHER PRODUCT OF MCKINNEY, UH, HAS PRODUCED THIS AND IT'S AVAILABLE IF YOU WANNA LEARN MORE ABOUT MCKINNEY AND THE HISTORY.
Y'ALL, THERE IS SO MUCH, SO MUCH MORE THERE.
BUT PLEASE, UM, WE JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR COMING.
WE WANT TO, UM, WE'RE GONNA CLOSE OUT WITH WHAT IS TRADITION IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY.
AND BROTHER CARRIE MADISON IS ON YOU
SO, BECAUSE IT'S BLACK HISTORY, I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO DO A NEGRO SPIRITUAL, UM, THROUGH TRIALS AND TRIBULATION OF ALL OF OUR PEOPLE.
WE HAVE ALWAYS HAD OUR EYES ON.
THROUGH OUR FAITH ON HEAVEN AS TO WHERE WE WERE GOING, BECAUSE WE ALWAYS KNEW THAT THERE WAS SOME TYPE OF HOPE.
SO THE FIRST SONG I'M GONNA SING AS A NEGRO SPIRITUAL, AND THEN I'LL HAVE Y'ALL TO COME IN WITH, UH, TOGETHER SONG SWING SWEET COMING FOR, TO CARRY ME.
SWEET, SWEET COMING FOR, TO CARRY ME HOME.
I LOOKED OVER JORDAN AND WHAT DID I SEE RIGHT? COMING FOR TO CARRY ME HOME.
A BAND OF ANGELS COMING UP TO ME, COMING FOR, TO CARRY ME HOME.
IT WAS A SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE, WAY DOWN, YONDER BY MYSELF.
SO I'M GONNA HAVE Y'ALL TO SING WITH ME.
I'M GOING TO LAY DOWN MY BURDENS DOWN BY, DOWN, DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE, DOWN BY, DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE, DOWN BY, DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE.
OH, I'M GOING TO LAY DOWN MY BURDENS DOWN BY, DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE.
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I AIN'T GOING.I AIN'T GOING TO STUDY ONE NO MORE.
I AIN'T GOING TO STUDY NO MORE.