FIGURES IN THE TWO VIRGINIAS AND
AROUND OUR NATION WHO HAVE
CONTRIBUTED TO AMERICA'S STORY.
THIS MORNING I BRING YOU THE
STORY OF INTERGRATION HERE
IN MERCER COUNTY.
THESE HALLOWED HALLS CONTINUE TO
PRODUCE CHAMPIONS IN EVERY
FIELD. FROM MEDICINE TO ARTS TO
SPORTS AND TECHNOLOGY..ENTER
BEAVER NATION AND EVERY STUDENT
HAS THE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO
THRIVE.. INSIDE THE CLASS ROOM
OF ENGLISH TEACHER LARRY
HYPES..THE STORY OF BLUEFIELD
HIGH AND THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO
WALKED THESE STORIED HALLS IS
TOLD ON THE WALL JOSHUA WHY DID
YOU DECIDE TO PUT THIS MURAL UP
LARRY..I FELT LIKE NOBODY
UNDERSTANDS DIVISION BETTER THAN
BLUEFIELD. DOWN THE ROAD..
YOU'RE A MILE AWAY FROM THE OLD
CONFEDERACY AND THE UNION THAT'S
THE KNIFE EDGE OF DIVISON.. 150
YEARS AGO THE THIS AREA WANTED
TO STAY WITH THE CONFEDERACY.
TODAY THE OLD VIRGINIA COUNTIES
ARE THINKING ABOUT JOINING WEST
VIRGINIA..SO I FELT LIKE THE
STORY OF THESE SCHOOLS WOULD
BLEND.. THAT THEY WOULD BLEND
INTO THE MODERN ERA WHAT WAS
ACCORDING TO SOME HAD IT'S PLACE
AND NOW WE HAVE A PLACE FOR ALL
PEOPLE. GETTING TO THAT PLACE
FOR ALL WAS QUITE THE JOURNEY..
1954 BROWN VS. BOARD RULES THAT
SEPERATE BUT EQUAL IS
UNCONSTITUTIONAL. 1955 THE BOARD
OF EDUCATION IN MERCER COUNTY
GIVES FAMILIES THE FREEDOM OF
CHOICE TO GO TO THE SCHOOL OF
THEIR CHOOSING. 15 YEARS LATER
THE LAST "ALL BLACK" HIGH SCHOOL
CLOSES AND BLUEFIELD HIGH SCHOOL
BECOMES THE CENTER OF
INTERGRATION.. GEORGE: THE
PRINCIPAL DECIDED IT WAS TIME
FOR HIM TO LEAVE. HE ASSURED ME
I DID NOT WANT TO COME TO
BLUEFIELD HIGH SCHOOL IT WOULD
BE 10 YEARS BEFORE IT WOULD BE
ANY SEMBLANCE OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL
SYSTEM. GEORGE ERPS FELT
DIFFERENTLY AND CHOSE TO TAKE ON
THE TASK OF HEADING THE FIRST
FULLY INTERGRATED HIGH SCHOOL IN
THE COUNTY. GEORGE: MY ONLY GOAL
THE FIRST DAY WAS TO HAVE
SEMBLANCE OF A REGULAR SCHOOL
DAY.... IT LOOKED LIKE I WAS
NEVER GOING TO GET THAT
ACCOMPLISHED. A STUDENT TEACHER
COME RUNNING INTO THE
OFFICE..SAID MR. ERPS YOU NEED
TO COME DOWN THE HALL THERE'S A
REALLY BAD FIGHT DOWN THERE. YOU
CAN IMAGINE THE UPHEAVAL IN THE
SCHOOL BECAUSE EVERYONE IS
WONDERING WHAT THIS WHITE
PRINCIPAL IS GOING TO DO ABOUT
THIS.. SIT HERE IN THESE CHAIRS
UNTIL I CAN GET SCHOOL STARTED.
WE'LL PUT YOU IN THE COACHES
OFFICE AND LET YOU FIGHT AND LET
YOU KILL EACH OTHER. BECKY LEWIS
AND WILLIE PERRY REMEMBER THOSE
FIRST DAYS AS STUDENTS BECKY: I
WENT TO THE 9TH GRADE AT CENTRAL
HIGH AND 10TH GRADE AT BEAVER..I
REMEMBER MY FATHER TELLING ME MY
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL THEY'RE JUST
LIKE YOU. THEY'RE HUMANS JUST
LIKE YOU. IF YOU GO BEING AFRAID
AND THEY CAN SMELL YOU BEING
AFRAID THEIR GOING TO TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF THAT IF YOU GO IN
WITH CONFIDENCE WITH HEAD SENSE
JUST LIKE IN THE BLACK SCHOOL
THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO TO
YOU. WILLIE: WE WENT UP THERE WE
WERE PLAYING BALL..EVERYBODY WAS
SITTING ON THE FLOOR. WE DIDN'T
HAVE NO BLACK CHEERLEADERS. THE
WHITE KIDS.. HAD A SIT IN. WE
DON'T NO BLACK CHEERLEADERS..
THAT STICKS IN MY MIND.. THEY
HAD THAT PROTEST AND FINALLY WE
HAD A BLACK CHEERLEADERS THE
YOUNG LADY WHO BECAME SHARON
BLEVINS.. SHE WAS THE FIRST
BLACK CHEERLEADER WHEN MY
DAUGHTER GOT UP THERE AND SHE
SAID SHE'S GOING TO GO. I SAID
YOU GO DO THAT BECAUSE WE HAD TO
FIGHT FOR THIS. THEY DIDN'T WANT
US TO COME BECAUSE THEY THOUGH
THERE COMING OVER HERE AND ARE
GOING TO TAKE OUR POSITIONS.
SOME FIFTY YEARS LATER PRINCIPAL
ERPS IS GRATEFUL HE DIDN'T
LISTEN TO THE NAYSAYERS. GEORGE:
I FELT LIKE THE LORD PUT ME
THERE AT THE TIME..FOR WHATEVER
REASON. MOST OF THE THINGS THAT
OCCUR LIKE THAT YOU'RE AT A
PARTICULAR PLACE AT A PARTICULAR
TIME. FOR MERCER COUNTY
BLUEFIELD HIGH LAID THE GROUND
WORK.. THE FOUNDATION FOR OTHERS
TO FOLLOW. WILLIE: SOMEBODY HAD
TO BE TRAILBLAZER TO SET IT UP.
AND THE BEAVERS OF TODAY
CONTINUE TO STAND ON THE
SHOULDERS OF THE BEAVERS OF THE
PAST. IN EVERY LESSON LEARNED,
SPORT PLAYED AND FRIENDSHIP
MADE. HERE FOR YOU, JOSHUA
BOLDEN, W- V-V-A NEWS.
THE FORMER PRINCIPAL YOU HEARD
FROM THERE WILL BE GIVING A
PRESENTATION AND SELLING COPIES
OF HIS
BOOK..
BLUEFIELD HIGH SCHOOL FROM
SEGREGATION TO INTEGRATION..
TOMORROW AT PRINCETON PUBLIC
LIBRARY AT 5 P-M TO CONCIDE WITH
BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
