{"id":858,"date":"2012-04-22T17:30:56","date_gmt":"2012-04-22T17:30:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jesuitarchives.wordpress.com\/?p=858"},"modified":"2016-08-09T11:33:13","modified_gmt":"2016-08-09T16:33:13","slug":"2006-interview-with-charles-edmond-58","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jesuitroundup.org\/archives\/858\/2006-interview-with-charles-edmond-58","title":{"rendered":"Charles Edmond ’58"},"content":{"rendered":"

The initial interview was conducted via phone on 11\/20\/06 with Sheryl Row, Jesuit Archivist, and revised with Mr. Edmond\u2019s additional comments sent via email on 7\/22\/11.<\/em><\/p>\n

In the spring of 1955, while attending St. Peter\u2019s Catholic School in the ninth grade, a nun who was also the principal approached me to recruit me to integrate Jesuit High School.\u00a0 I believe that I was chosen because she observed me to be mild mannered, level headed and capable academically.\u00a0 They were integrating the school for the first time.\u00a0 I was interested mainly because I wanted to play in the band and I couldn\u2019t afford an instrument.\u00a0 Jesuit would let me use one of theirs.<\/p>\n

After I agreed to attend Jesuit, this nun advised me to keep quiet, focus on academics, create no problems, avoid trouble, and avoid any situation that would create public scrutiny. I realized that I was to be the forerunner of an epic event in Dallas history, to be the first black to integrate a school.<\/p>\n

I worried about how I would handle any problems with my integrating the school.\u00a0 Fortunately I adjusted well and had no trouble with the students.<\/p>\n

My life at Jesuit was good.\u00a0 I did not knowingly receive any racial backlash from my classmates, parents, or teachers.\u00a0 However, I did feel isolated because I had no contacts with my classmates after school hours.\u00a0 I never attended social events or mother\/son events at Jesuit.\u00a0 I had one phone call from a student in my three years at Jesuit.\u00a0 He called to ask for help in math.<\/p>\n

My neighborhood was different culturally than the Jesuit environment. I lived in East Dallas, near Fair Park in a 100% African-American community in contrast with the wealthy Jesuit neighborhood.\u00a0 In fact, very few people in my neighborhood knew that I was attending Jesuit so there was no backlash from my community.<\/p>\n

In one sense that worked to my advantage because my neighborhood was dangerous because of the gangs, and I believe that attending Jesuit took me away from that environment a good part of the day.<\/p>\n

I received an excellent education a Jesuit.\u00a0 My best subjects were Latin, English, and Math.\u00a0 My activities were the band and altar boy club.\u00a0 I did not attempt to participate in athletics because sports were not integrated at that time.<\/p>\n

My tuition was waived since I couldn\u2019t afford it.\u00a0 I did pay for lunch.\u00a0 I took public transportation to school.\u00a0 I caught the bus to downtown and transferred to Oak Lawn.\u00a0 Some other students also caught the bus downtown.<\/p>\n

Latin, math, and English were my best subjects.\u00a0 I wanted to go to college, I would be the first in my family to do so, and I believed going to Jesuit would help me.\u00a0 I had a poor academic background, but Jesuit helped me improve.\u00a0 Being mild mannered and focusing only on academics worked to my advantage.<\/p>\n

One moment that stands out while at Jesuit was a sign of the times.\u00a0 I was on a trip with my classmates as part of the traditional retreat for seniors to Grand Coteau, LA.\u00a0 I was not allowed to eat with my classmates but had to eat in the kitchen in the back.<\/p>\n

I knew Arthur Allen \u201959, who entered Jesuit as a freshman, because we both had attended St. Anthony\u2019s church and elementary school.\u00a0 However, we were a year apart and he was active in several activities, where, as I said, I was not.<\/p>\n

During my senior year I received a partial scholarship to St. Edwards College in Texas but I declined to accept because of my family’s financial situation.<\/p>\n

After graduation from Jesuit in 1958, I attended Grambling State University, graduating with a degree in mathematics, and I left Dallas for St. Louis.\u00a0 I have worked for the last forty years as a secondary teacher of mathematics, activities director, athletic director, dean of students and retired as a high school assistant principal.<\/p>\n

I have not returned to Jesuit at the old school on Oak Lawn nor the new school nor reunions not because I have not wanted to, but because of the isolation I felt while being the first.\u00a0 I still, to this day, do not feel a kinship to the establishment or the classmates.<\/p>\n

*As an aside I was the first African-American male teacher on staff at the University City High School, University City, MO.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The initial interview was conducted via phone on 11\/20\/06 with Sheryl Row, Jesuit Archivist, and revised with Mr. Edmond\u2019s additional comments sent via email on 7\/22\/11. 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