Senatobia Boycott: 22 Years Ago Today

On this very day twenty two years ago, during my senior year of high school, something happened that would change how I viewed race relations forever. A large majority of the African American students of the Senatobia Separate School District were held out of school by their parents, and an African American boycott of white-owned businesses soon followed, as did a civil rights rally. What sparked this series of boycotts and protests was a white assistant superintendent was hired over an African American candidate for the same position.

Being only 17 at the time, I did not know the whole story surrounding the hiring decision (and I still don't), but I did see how it affected my school and my friends (both black and white) and that I did not like. This month-long holdout effected athletes in spring sports, and the band who was preparing to go on a trip to Gatlinburg, TN to compete in a few weeks, not to mention the disruption in the studies of hundreds of students.

And what things occurred beyond the school room also gave me reason to ponder. As an employee of a white-owned grocery store, I had to escort little old African American ladies to their car with even one item, because certain persons had threatened to confiscate any goods from anyone breaking the boycott. But set against that type of intimidation, there were signs of hope and friendship; like brave classmates of mine..black kids who just wanted to go to school, and their white friends who escorted them as they walked to school and back.

As a part of the first generation to begin school in Mississippi after integration in the early 1970's, I had never known school without people of both races and found the boycott month at school somewhat surreal and, frankly, a little boring. I won't criticize the cause that led to this boycott, I am ignorant of the circumstances..and ultimately the school district caved, so there must have been some merit to the claim. But I saw that racial tensions made everyone's life (even those for whom skin color no longer mattered) more difficult.

I learned that being right is good, but being good to one another is better. I hope some of my classmates from SHS will share their thoughts and recollections on my blog or the Facebook feed.

Nolanbuck