And on behalf of the Miller Center, its a pleasure to welcome you to the special program on shining a light on the era of integration. Part of uvas 2023 Martin LutherKing Community celebration cosponsored by uva lifetime learning in the office of engagement. I want to thank Alfred Reeves and Christina Lopez guitar de chao and the Miller Center team for making this event possible. For those joining us today, i do want to i want to encourage you to join our conversation by sending in your questions for our speakers via the chat function during this virtual event. The reverend dr. Martin luther jr and many civil rights activists working for social change in a more just society where motivated by a vision of beloved community, working toward a future of racial reconciliation and healing, dr. King believed and often stated that the arc of the universe bends toward justice over time. Dr. Kings vision of a more just and Equitable Society led him to oppose not only racism, but also war and poverty. Dr. Kings expansive vision of a just society is under attack by the far right today, a conservative majority on the Supreme Court is reversing the gains of the rights revolution, stripping, Voting Rights and reproductive rights, pretending an undemocratic future that looks a lot like the injustices of the past republican controlled state legislators, legislatures continue passing law, state laws, making voting more difficult, and banning teaching of history. Our history of struggles against Racial Injustice and in effect, banning any discussion of race and racism in k12 classrooms. At a moment when racial discord is being promoted by far right extremists, a growing number of whom are elected officials, hatred is spreading online with hate crimes against africanamericans and other people of color. , muslims and lgbtq people on the increase, it is important to revisit a time not long ago when Many Americans shared dr. Kings dream of a more just equitable future and sacra faced to make that dream a reality in todays program, shining a light on the era of integration, we have the privilege of hearing from two members of the generation that came of age during the Civil Rights Movement who will tell us their personal stories is High School Students on long island. In the early 1970s, late 1960s and early 1970s. They will reflect on the history that they werent taught in high school of systemic racism on long island and in jackson, mississippi. They will also share their perspectives on the current controversy over state supported attempts to censor books and classroom instruction on dealing with race and sex discrimination then and now. Ill introduce our speakers today. Pamela banks is a licensed clinical psychologist and professor and chair of the department of psychology at Jackson State University in jackson, mississippi. She was instrumental in establishing the American Psychological association accredited ph. D. Program in Clinical Psychology at jackson state in 1995. She received received her b. A. From Antioch College and her masters in social work. Her m. A. And ph. D. In Clinical Psychology from the university of southern mississippi. She is how two gubernatorial appointments to the mississippi board of psychology and chairmanship positions on committees in the mississippi psychological association. The Mississippi Academy of sciences and south, the southeastern psychological association. And were also joined by Jill Lawrence. Joe lawrence is an Award Winning journalist and author of the art of the political deal how Congress Beat the odds and broke through gridlock. Lawrence is a columnist for usa today and other publications. Previously, she was commentary editor and Editorial Board member at usa today managing for politics at national journal. National Political Correspondent at usa today and National Political writer at the associated press. She serves the board of the nonprofit philosophy, learning and Teaching Organization plato, promoting k12 philosophy and ethics, education to foster curiosity, Critical Thinking and respect for discussion. Jill lawrence recently published an opinion article in usa today, which links the current culture wars over the teaching of americas history of racial oppression, with the story dr. Banks, leaving her home in mississippi at the age 15 to attend lawrences face, as she put it in the article blindingly White High School in syosset, long island, during the late 1960s. Dr. Banks, Jill Lawrence, thank you for being with us today. So my first question is for dr. Banks. Could you take us back to the moment when you and your family in jackson, mississippi, in the late 1960s were discussing the idea of your leaving to attend high school in the north, in syosset, long island, in what was supposed to be an Exchange Program . How did you and your parents arrive at the decision for you to leave home . And tell us about your experiences being one of only four African American students in a Large High School that, like syosset, was almost entirely white. It must have been difficult first. How did you get through that first year in such an unfamiliar environment . Welcome. And thats thats a lot of information that i will try to give you in very brief period of time. Of all back in 1968, my guidance counselor at my high school and a member from the community were aware of a Program Sponsored by the National Urban league. And this program was called student transfer educational program. However, when they came to talk to us, it to talk to my parents about it, our impression and understanding that it was going to be an exchange, but that wasnt very significant. And we knew that in late 1960s it would be rare for someone to take up their their their experience in one part of the country and bring them down to the deep south in that particular era. So that wasnt going to we we that probably wasnt going to happen. But the the deciding factor related to two events, one, two years prior, the same guidance counselor had us some standardized test and many students who were high. My first cousin scored very high and he actually part of a program called the better chance. Im sure people have heard of, the better chance. And he went off to prep school to vermont academy, the saxons waivers. Lamont i also the same offer, but my parents hesitated and was just 13. And i am. I was one girl in the family and i have one brother. So my mother was reluctant. But when the opportunity came a second time to to get involved in education experiences, that would really probably take me to another level compared to what i might be exposed to at my home high school. My parents kind of we sat and talked and of course my parents are spiritual and work, spiritual individuals. They prayed and talked to me. They always thought had a pretty level head. I was a high achieving student. And so when they talked about it and my input, they decided to make the sacrifice of letting their only girl leave all the equities familiar and near and dear to them and go off to a foreign place. Id always been in a segregated school, had very little contact with white people. Very very little. I didnt know anybody who was white. We met the pearl stains, jane and jim perlstein, a family who became my host family. And we met them only through telephone, no zoom back in 1968. And no and no skyping face timing. And so but my mother and dad, like the sound of jane and jim. Jane and jim hit two, three sons and my daddy, youre going to go live with family, with three boys. But once they found out how the family had values very similar to our parents, to my very high on education, very high on discipline, very high on fine and for my family, very high. And spirituality. And so my mother actually went with me. Syosset first time she met the pearl stains and my first time flying, i was 15 and we arrived and it was very pleasant, very loving, very welcoming. And jane was such a strong advocate for for human rights and for diverse ity and, and equality. Even in 1968, in an all white environ. My mother left there feeling very comfortable leaving her daughter with this family and all for the purpose of improvement and betterment and opportunity. I now granted they were opportunities and there was there people in from jacksons decision were in the Public School system there and they did just fine and theyve become national figures, made great contributions. We know what the future hill for me at that time. My parents just wanted to make sure they had they allowed me to flourish, me to grow, to to expand my experiences and apply my talent. And so they were willing to that sacrifice. What was it like to, in an all white environment, again im 15, i and leaving whats very important, a 15 year old from parties and we start backyard parties, you know, you just just those things were very important. And here i get to syosset and there are no people like me. There was one other student in the step who lived a block away with a family and student became, of course, my friend and for a long time we kept in contact, but not not in the last 20 years. I think i got through being in syosset with the help of my very loving family and friends back in mississippi. People thought that was a great thing a little boy across the street. There was a little article published when i came home once and he said, Pamela Gibson is to town. He had a little newspaper here with my picture in it. And so that was kind of people were very happy that i was away and doing well. So that support from mississippi helped me, but also prayer and the very supportive family of the perlstein because. I was accepted as a member of the family and as i said in that article that jill wrote people thought i was some people thought i was the may, but i was not. I was a member. The family, jane and jim had three sons and i was the daughter. And even at her Memorial Service a few back, that was my my testimony to the family that i was janes daughter. And there people there who kind of said you were who because they they may have maybe didnt know, didnt understand, but i was very much accepted in that family and stayed in contact with jane until she passed away. Its its really its fascinating to me that you not only had the support of of the perlstein, the host family that you stayed with, but you also had the support of your own community, jackson, mississippi, that you were going away. It seemed that they were very of you and that you were representing them well. Yes. Yes. And when wed come home, they would be parties for me at a community center. And that that way i got to see all the people from my high school. I miss those people. Id gone to school with them, some from first grade on. And so it was a it was always a good time to come home. My mother, with a big everything that i like, she prepared. They encouraged me because they knew that i was stepping out into a territory that was unknown to them. They experienced it, but we kind of took a leap of faith as people in us. And in terms of my friends, there were many people were very friendly toward me. I dont remember any hostility inside. I said, just remember just not being in in a particular circle or. I might not have been invited to something. John and john, same was my thing at my age. And so i oftentimes the trail along with him and jane, they threw a big party for me in syosset. I was i was decorated as a gift box, a gift to syosset. And in in a sense, i was also going to help them grow and be exposed to someone who was culturally different. And that was some people like that, people like jill probably like seeing some Something Different in their community. And so i think i did well terms of my interactions. My biggest obstacle was, finding a church for worship services. And so i first attended an all white church in syosset and it wasnt just what i was accustomed to so jane and jim started searching and there was a church in oyster bay that i attended for a while, and then i ended up in a church back near old, as i recall, and they made sure i got the church as my parents were were active in our church. They were leaders in our church. And that was a big part of who i was and so my in worship helped sustain me because it was very lonely. I would walk. I think i said this before to jill. I would walk through the through the woods to the major thoroughfare just to see cars that might have black people in it, because i wasnt seeing black people and around any. So again, im 50. I turned 16 within two months of arriving in syosset. And so i was for the 11th and 12th grade and graduate in the year 1970, which was just a while ago. Hi i remember 1970. Well yeah so well thank you for that. That was that was really wonderful and very, very revealing. And i, i want to turn now to to Jill Lawrence for your remembrance of those times. You know, its its really striking that that you recently connected with dr. Banks in reporting your article, but apparently you didnt know each other well you two were were at high school and and when you read the article, you really you know, i appreciate that you dont let yourself off the hook in writing about your own naivety about racism, growing up in white, suburban syosset. You describe yourself, quote, white, privileged and oblivious. So what it like to witness the southern Civil Rights Movement from that that place the overwhelmingly white suburb of syosset. Well, i think the operative word there is oblivious. I was young when the Civil Rights Movement in the south. I was, you know, eight, nine, ten, 11 years old in elementary school. And given that there was virtually no black population in syosset, that, you know, there was it was just a totally different culture. And it you know, when i old enough to be political, which was not very old about 12, it was the vietnam war that had everyones attention. And a couple of years later, it was feminism. So i remember, at the time that we were in high school, we shut down the school over the war to protest the vietnam war, marched around the school. We obviously must had the acquiescence of the administration. But, you know, this is this is what were concerned about. And i know i worked at an arts camp on the north shore of long island, which is very affluent and and one of the senior counselors there told me, you must read sisterhood is powerful. You know, i would have been maybe 16. And so i read it. And feminism was a huge deal, even to the point that in high school, one of my big campaigns was for girls to be allowed to wear pants. They wouldnt let us wear pants even when it snowed. So. So mean. Those were the those were the times and that was the place. And you its ironic, but when i started researching this piece, a librarian at sales at library whos a historian, a local historian, showed me a present version that he and someone else had done for the 50th anniversary of the fair housing act. And it had a lot what i missed, you know, it had local, local newspaper articles about. In 1963, a young man from the area went to the march on washington and. He remembered one of the speeches and. No, it was not Martin Luther kings speech. It was the speech by a labor. You know, it was it was a whole different experience. Then there was another young man who went down to work at a Freedom School and in 1964, and he was working. He got there 66 days after the three civil rights workers were killed. Philadelphia and the school he worked at was 30 miles from where that happens. So, you know, all this is going on. And of course, knew nothing about it. I was trying to get through three years of high school and two years, which and i you know, i him and marianne, the other black exchange student, were pretty noticeable said. I told pamela that remembered them and she laughed and said, couldnt miss us. And that was actually true. But i didnt actually reconnect her until until now, in the midst of of wondering why we didnt know anything about where we lived. It was a huge shock to find out that the klan was operating on long island even while we were in high school, it was still there. You know, it was a pillar of community in the twenties, thirties, forties, fifties. It it got, it had alliances with Estate Developers and and with banks and with firehouses and local government and schools. It was just astonishing to learn these things so belatedly and later in my piece i quote the current superintendent as and is telling everyone he had heard from so many graduates so alarms that they wish theyd learn more. So i think, you know, when i finally reconnected with pam you can tell from what she just told us why i was in tears through half of that interview. And i was having technical problems at that point. So could see her, but she couldnt see me. But i was just, you know, tears rolling down my cheeks. She was talking about leaving all she knew and her mothers tears, the tears and the difficulty of, you know, letting a 15 year old go someplace. So different, you know. So foreign really, to where she grown up. And i just thought you know, this still story is so compelling. And what she did was so brave. But maybe this is a way in to to this whole controversy these days that people who wouldnt ordinarily read about it or over their minds to different points of view might actually see