Vendor A. Allen Shares His Stories of Integration

When I think of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. the Legend, the Man and the Dream, I think I how times seem to be the same and how my thinking has changed.

Yes, I remember the message of integration between whites and blacks working together. The message was so relevant. At the same time, some people understood and some took it for granted.

From my experience, the Board of Education took the message seriously: it reacted with the Chicago Public Schools busing program of 1970. I was in 6th or 7th grade at John D. Shoop School, 11140 S. Bishop St., and was one of those selected to participate. We were transported to Mount Greenwood School at about 9:30 a.m. everyday and stayed until 3 p.m. It was only about a 10- to 15-minute ride west of us.

The program was designed to bring black and white teenagers together for education – not only from teachers but from each other. We were told to be ourselves and the white kids were told the same thing.

I think the purpose was so we could learn about each other’s cultures. It was a wonderful experience because in hindsight, it was sort of like being introduced to the other side of the tracks. We couldn’t understand the reason for going to school across the tracks in the Caucasian neighborhood but now I see it as an opportunity to get to know people I would not normally mix with. For me, it was an introduction to the real world.

We discussed each other’s slang and felt each other’s hair. We talked about our hobbies and after-school activities. Some people even dated.

We had thought we were reserved to our little community, but with the busing program, a whole new world was open to us. We saw our similarities more than our differences. We all wanted to fit in and be accepted by our peers and to excel in education.

It was an eye-opening experience and I find it still valuable today. Even though I did not value the lesson then, I do appreciate it today.

Because of the busing experience, I’m less afraid to integrate and socialize with people of different colors, ethnic and social backgrounds. It was helpful because I view people in a less judgmental way. I understand a lot of my prejudices stem from my ignorance, of assuming things I had no experience in. So with the busing program, I gained hands on, personal (and even work) experience.

A. Allen