The generation that graduated high school in the late 1960s or early 1970s has now reached retirement age. Many have attended their 50th reunions, and have begun to recall what the culture was like then, different from and similar to now. As members of the Baby Boom generation, they were the first to desegregate or integrate schools in the South, as well as some other parts of the country.

If you are part of that seminal generation, I’m very interested in collecting your memories as part of a mini-course here on Substack. Post in the comments below or reply to this email. I may also conduct video or audio interviews in 2024. So far, I’ve posted 27 articles on race and racism.

In terms of movies, “Remember the Titans” set in Alexandria, Virginia in 1971, captured some of the spirit of the period.

The initial article goes on to offer a coach’s perspective on working with students at my alma mater, Scotland High School in Laurinburg, NC in 1969-70; an African-American student leader’s perspective; and a “progressive” English teacher’s perspective.

It also links to related stories from North Carolina during that period:

Shots Fired At Inter-Racial Party in Small-town NC, 1969 Echo Through The Years

‘Blood Done Sign My Name’: Tim Tyson’s Riveting Account of NC Racial Struggles in 1970

NC Author and Historian Tim Tyson Teaches College Students About the African-American Experience in the South

and two dozen other articles on coming to terms with Race and Racism.