Imagined Conversation with Veronica Hill: Charter Member of AFT Local 527 Maria Hernandez Excuse me. Are you Mrs. Hill? Yes, I’m Mrs. Hill. Are you Mrs. Veronica Hill? What did I just say child? Yes, I’m Veronica Hill. I’m sorry I was just trying to make sure that you are the right person. What am I the right person for and who are you? My name is Maria Hernandez, and I just wanted to know if the rumors were true? If what rumors are true? That you broke into a school board meeting back in 1937. That’s a long story that I’m willing to tell if you’re willing to listen. Oh, am I willing to listen! You better come sit down by me, because you’ll be here for a while. Is it okay that I sit here? And can I ask a few questions as you go? You can sit where ever you want and ask as many questions as you want as long as you’re listening. You don’t have to worry about that. So you know that we broke into the school board meeting, but do you know the history behind that one day. What history? I thought that you were just acting on a heat of the moment kind of thing like me and my friends usually do. Well it was something like that, but we never planned to break into the meeting. We just wanted to give them a petition signed by both black and white teachers demanding that whenever white teachers get a pay raise black teachers would get a raise too. So what you’re saying is that white teachers were actually on your side?
As strange as it sounds, yes many of them were on our side on that issue. Some of them even came with us to the school board meeting. So how did you decide to break into the meeting? As I said before we just wanted to give them the petition, but when we got there the doors were locked. That’s when some one noticed that the iron steps of the fire escape were low enough to climb. Did you have to break a window to get in or was it open? Actually, neither—the janitor opened the window for us. When you got into the building, did you make a big commotion and get arrested or something like that? All we did was push the petition under the door in the room where they were meeting. Did you ever get any results to your petition? The very next day. Really? What happened? The policy was passed that every time white teachers got a pay raise, black teachers would get the same pay raise. So what you’re saying is that black and white teachers were getting paid equal salaries? No, child. You’re not listening. The salaries stayed very unequal, but if a two percent pay raise was given to white teachers, black teachers got it too. Sounds like you got what you wanted. You think? Well, you got the raise that you demanded in the petition. Yes, you’re right. But we knew we needed more. That was just the start of forming our own union and demanding equal pay. But that’s a story for another day. Can I come by tomorrow to hear it? You have a little pushiness to you, don’t you? I’ve got a lot to learn.
Yes. Come by tomorrow and I’ll tell you about Local 527, Joseph McKelpin, A. P. Tureaud, and all of that. Thank you.