Interview with Hester Boyd and her daughter, Lillie Thompson; both attended African American schools in Laurens County, S.C.; Byrd began school in 1911 or 1912; first attended Rocky Springs school; began attending Tumbling Shoals school in 6th grade; first high school for African Americans in Laurens County; the school was started by local Baptist Convention; both male and female students boarded at Tumbling Shoals school; Byrd lived within walking distance and did not board; the school was two stories with a room for each grade; Mamie Coker was teaching at the school at the time; Byrd attended Hampton Street school for 7th grade after Tumbling Shoals closed; did not attend school after 7th grade; Thompson began school in 1938; attended Possum Hollow (same school building as Hampton Street school); attended Sanders school for high school; text books and desks were rented used from local white schools; Byrd and Thompson both note the most frustrating aspect of segregation for them, was walking to school every day when white schools provided school buses.
