Brown's recollection of her days (1963-1966) at Rivers High School, Charleston, South Carolina. Brown was one of the first two African Americans admitted to the segregated school. She describes the lawsuit her father and other parents brought against the School Board of South Carolina District 20, so their children could attend white Charleston schools, and the court ruling that cleared the way for their admission. Brown mentions Jacquelyn Ford, the other African American who entered Rivers High School with her, and notes that because Jacquelyn was in 8th grade and Brown in 10th, the two rarely saw each other to provide support. Brown describes her experiences at the all white high school. She recalls that most teachers seemed indifferent to her presence and generally non-supportive of her fight for civil rights. She discusses her decision to attend Rivers and claims she never felt pressure from home; her choice seemed natural having been reared in an activist household. Brown remembers most students ignored or jeered at her; however Jewish students were more cordial. She acknowledges that although Jewish kids did not bend over backward to make her welcome, they also did not go out of their way to heckle as others did. Brown attributes this to the fact that many Jewish merchants employed blacks, and the Jewish students were accustomed to interacting with African Americans. She recalls that life during high school was divided into two worlds, school and home. Brown lived for coming home to be with African American friends and hear news and gossip from Burke High School. She often neglected her studies to interact with friends after school, and her academic work suffered. However, by junior year, Brown's grades improved enough to make her eligible for the honor society; she was not asked to join. Interview ends with Brown's description of the nervous condition she acquired during high school after years of "being bigger" than those that taunted her and internalizing hurt, frustration and stress. Interview ends with discussion of the types of students that befriended Brown while at Rivers. Interview continued, but tape ran out. Remainder of conversation focused on two friends Brown made at Rivers High School. She described one girl as an outcast from the mainstream crowd; a person who liked to shock others and enjoyed hanging around Brown because she was African American. The other girl never felt comfortable enough to invite Brown to her house even though Brown was her only friend.
