Frances Hargraves - on community support for Lincoln High students (clip)

BG: I think this is interesting, and a lot of it is theoretical. So I want to go back to Lincoln High School and more of your memories of Lincoln High School. What the teachers were like, what the students were like. The sports, and the band, the chorus. Anything else you remember from Lincoln High.

FH: I call it enjoyable years, taking in the total picture. I felt that we performed well. We had the same problems that any school of our size would have. We seemed to handle them well. There was a lot of respect from students to their teachers. And we in tum tried to be fair with our students. It was more a family feeling. You know, cohesiveness. You're working for the same cause, you're educating children. You want this to be the best school, with students doing the best that they can. You had that feeling. And I was very proud of those kids, I really was. I was proud of all they did. ( ) sports, or what not, but in academic achievement, they seemed to be growing. The kids were very respectful, very respectful. I had that good feeling. I enjoyed those years. I was in elementary. I taught fourth, fifth, and sixth grade. And I really enjoyed teaching.

BG: Do you have any idea of the percentage of students who graduated from Lincoln and went on to college?

FH: I wish I did. I think the percentage was maybe pretty high. You had-you know it's costly to go to college. I had children who had great potential. I even talked to one about it. I said, "You just have all the potential of being a wondetful teacher because you were my aid when I had the sixth grade." And you know what she told me? She said, "Miss Hargraves, I wanted to go to school, too, but I don't have the money." I've had at least two or three tell me-[tape ends].

FH: --just ( ). But it's like I said, they didn't have that kind of money. It's sad, but it happens. It happens with children in all walks of life, they just don't have that money.

BG: So that was a factor for a certain percentage of the black students, that they couldn't go on for more education because of the ( )?

FH: That's right. I wish it was ( ). But in my experience I have had many students who had high potential of being successful but didn't have the funds to continue their education. But you had a pretty good percentage who did go. Some might not have stayed the four years, and some--now that the technical schools have come in-you have a large influx of children going to those now. That's a plus for children who want to excel. In fact, it's hard to get any other type of job. Things are pretty tight now. You've got to have a handle on your pot!

BG: Did the community or the teachers at Lincoln do anything to help the students get into colleges or support them while they were in college? students.

FH: I'm glad you said that. I know of some cases where they financially supported some of them

BG: The teachers?

FH: Yes!

BG: On their small salary?

FH: That's right. They tried so hard. I really know that of some cases where they did. All teachers encouraged children to continue their education. That's just a part of our feelings about it. High school is fine. It just opens the door for you to get into a higher education, to do something else. If it's just technical school, you know, something that you can put your finger on, that you like to do, that is going to give you a decent salary. I know that all of the teachers that I know are one hundred percent behind their students to continue their education. But we're very much aware that it's not free anymore. The finance side holds a lot of children from continuing--. You're finding black organizations as well as white organizations-I belong to both kinds, predominantly for blacks and predominantly for whites. We are trying to help children. We give scholarships. There's not one organization that I belong to that we don't that. So we're all reaching out or trying to help those students who ( ) on to continue. And we're just as proud of them when they come back and tell us how successful they're doing. It gives us the zip to go on to help other children. Our problem is we can't help as many as we would like to. So we try to encourage any group, any member, anyone, to support a child. And I do that. I support, individually, I support students who are going for their education. Some of them are in the family, and some are outside the family. I might contribute to a church club child.