Comments on: one brick at a time http://sticksoffire.com/2007/02/13/one-brick-at-a-time/ A very loose interpretation of the news and happenings in and around Tampa Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:37:40 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Thomas Jackson http://sticksoffire.com/2007/02/13/one-brick-at-a-time/comment-page-1/#comment-322511 Thomas Jackson Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:43:31 +0000 http://sticksoffire.com/2007/02/13/one-brick-at-a-time/#comment-322511 In 1969, I can remember going over to play basketball at Middleton when I was a freshman at H.B. Plant. What a nightmare! I remember coming out of the locker room onto the basketball floor while African American students pelted me with garbage and screamed "Honky Motherxxxxxx!" in my face. During the game, I took the ball out on the sidelines (seats right up on the out of bounds line) and remember getting punched in the genitals by someone behind me. I had to leave the game. Then in 1971, some Federal Judge mandated the desegregation of H.B. Plant, closing down Middleton and Blake high-schools, transporting the African-American students over to Plant. The very first day of school...African-American students set the lunch room on FIRE! It was all down hill after that...armed robberies in the bathrooms...assaults in the classroom, Tampa police officers arresting African-American students right out of the classrooms. I remember the Plant Dean of Boys telling me that he was quitting...tired of having the NAACP challenge his decision to suspend 23 year olds thugs. NOW...I see that the coin has flipped back and African American school leaders are now in FAVOR of a segregated Middleton High School. From the website at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_S._Middleton_High_School I see the current Middleton demographics: 87.57% non-European-American 12.43% European-American So, I went throught that forced busing de-segregation (and the taxpayers the massive cost!) for nothing? In 1969, I can remember going over to play basketball at Middleton when I was a freshman at H.B. Plant. What a nightmare! I remember coming out of the locker room onto the basketball floor while African American students pelted me with garbage and screamed “Honky Motherxxxxxx!” in my face. During the game, I took the ball out on the sidelines (seats right up on the out of bounds line) and remember getting punched in the genitals by someone behind me. I had to leave the game.

Then in 1971, some Federal Judge mandated the desegregation of H.B. Plant, closing down Middleton and Blake high-schools, transporting the African-American students over to Plant.

The very first day of school…African-American students set the lunch room on FIRE! It was all down hill after that…armed robberies in the bathrooms…assaults in the classroom, Tampa police officers arresting African-American students right out of the classrooms. I remember the Plant Dean of Boys telling me that he was quitting…tired of having the NAACP challenge his decision to suspend 23 year olds thugs.

NOW…I see that the coin has flipped back and African American school leaders are now in FAVOR of a segregated Middleton High School.

From the website at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_S._Middleton_High_School I see the current Middleton demographics:

87.57% non-European-American
12.43% European-American

So, I went throught that forced busing de-segregation (and the taxpayers the massive cost!) for nothing?

]]> By: Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog » Blog Archive » color blind internet http://sticksoffire.com/2007/02/13/one-brick-at-a-time/comment-page-1/#comment-176256 Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog » Blog Archive » color blind internet Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:32:16 +0000 http://sticksoffire.com/2007/02/13/one-brick-at-a-time/#comment-176256 [...] say about minorities within our communities, other than my lame attempts to highlight a couple of great people doing great things in our [...] [...] say about minorities within our communities, other than my lame attempts to highlight a couple of great people doing great things in our [...]

]]> By: Tampa Book Buzz » book news:hearns, pierce http://sticksoffire.com/2007/02/13/one-brick-at-a-time/comment-page-1/#comment-72759 Tampa Book Buzz » book news:hearns, pierce Thu, 15 Feb 2007 19:00:43 +0000 http://sticksoffire.com/2007/02/13/one-brick-at-a-time/#comment-72759 [...] at Sticks of Fire has posted an interesting interview he recently had with local author Fred Hearns, author of Getting It Done:Rebuilding America Brick [...] [...] at Sticks of Fire has posted an interesting interview he recently had with local author Fred Hearns, author of Getting It Done:Rebuilding America Brick [...]

]]> By: tampafilmfan http://sticksoffire.com/2007/02/13/one-brick-at-a-time/comment-page-1/#comment-72322 tampafilmfan Tue, 13 Feb 2007 20:55:30 +0000 http://sticksoffire.com/2007/02/13/one-brick-at-a-time/#comment-72322 Intereresting interview. Thanks for bringing this author and his book to our attention. Intereresting interview. Thanks for bringing this author and his book to our attention.

]]>