Wilkinson School is located on Peachtree Street
Bullies - How did I always attract them?
There were 3 bullies at this school. This was 1 year after integration between the black and white schools. All 3 bullies were black.
Frankie
Frankie tormented everyone. He must have had the worst home life. He was disruptive and uncaring about anything. He lived in the ghetto called "The Hill" or "Hilltop". This is the neighborhood that was north of West Thomas Street and South of Peachtree Street.
*I was sitting in the row of seats near the back when I heard a commotion occurring in the classroom to our left. We were facing forward and the classroom door way was at the end of the hall and facing the hallway (left angles). We heard this scream that was obviously an adult, so the teacher. Then we saw her wig fly down the hall in front of our open door. Yep - Frankie had snatched that wig off her head and thrown it.
*Frankie would walk around the classroom grabbing girls breasts. He was a true terror. He only tried to grab my chest once, as I had ZERO boobs at grade 5. He would threaten you for no reason at all. Knock things off the desk, just a bad egg. Everyday felt like a war with this kid.
He never changed, and someone killed him before he was 20.
2) (Can't remember his name) - I just remember him mouthing off and knocking me down. I remember getting knocked down, toys taken away from me while on the playground.
3) Willie Mae T
The 3rd bully was a girl. Willie Mae T. I worked with her sister Gail at the Canton Station in the 1980s and she told her sister she worked with me. Willie Mae told Gail that I was one tough girl. They could knock me down and give me hell, but I would jump up and give it back.
The Principles response:
The saddest part of being at the school with these bullies, was the Principle. Oh they rant and rave over how wonderful this man was...but an enforcer, he was not. Dad had to go to the school and talk to him as I was getting beat on every day for a while. The school doors were locked, so he went to the principles office and called out "Hey". It scared the principle so badly, he nearly jumped out of his chair. I don't think he let Dad in that day. They might have talked for a minute thru the windows. Dad eventually talked to him and let him know, I was not to be beat on again and this bully situation needed to be squashed. I don't remember having any more issues with the bullies after that.
Other memories
Over-reacting towards the Crossing Guards
The first day of school there, I was walking back home with my sisters and friends. They had crossing guards. I was showing my sister how to walk between the lines and I was walking on the lines. The whistle blew and I was made to walk back to the school and then back across within the lines. I showed my ass and I couldn't believe it was against the rules to walk on the lines. As long as you weren't outside of the lines. I yelled at the crossing guards because they embarrassed me. I said "See - It's my duty to make sure my sister gets home safely and now she's getting ahead of me because of your stupid rule of having to walk back across and then back again". "stupid rule". We walked down to Falls Road, then over to Avent Street and down Avent Street to Avent Circle where our house was.
Dancing the Click Clack
I remember being in the girls restroom and the dance called the 'click clack' was big with the black kids. You know we white kids never could dance. Well I could. I would start doing the click clack dance and the black girls would say "YOU KNOW HOW TO DO THE CLICK CLACK". WOW. LOL. The dance sounded good on the tile floors.
The Lunchroom:
I preferred chocolate milk instead of white milk, but all we could get for years was white milk. Mom always kept Quick Mix (with the bunny on it) at the house. I got smart and would create a small container by putting a spoon full of chocolate powder on a piece of aluminum foil. I'd fold it up into a little packet. Carry that in my purse and then at lunch, I would pay 50 cents for school lunch including milk, and pour the powder into the milk. YUMMM. Speaking of school lunches, they were awesome when I was in school. There were some days better than others, but spaghetti, lasagna, meatloaf, and everyone's favorite, square pizza. The veggies. It was usually good, and usually hot. Once we got to High School, we had a second line where you could get burgers and such, and ice cream. Ice cream for lunch was always good.
The Principle would eat with us. He would sit at the end of a table. I remember he was so 'gentile'. He would cut and take a small bite, pick up his napkin and gently tap the edges of his mouth. Place his napkin in his lap, take another small bite and do the same thing with the napkin. He was more female than I've ever been. Which is ok. Whatever.... but it was weird.
The School Nurse
The School Nurse ended up being my Mother in Law - Rebecca B. I can probably count on one hand the number of times I went to any school nurse to request to go home. I remember where her office was and I remember getting some sort of childhood vaccination there. Measles Mumps??? Something. We were all lined up in the cafeteria and they shot us with the vaccination gun.
