School Zone
Points of Pride
Englewood High School Hosts Civil Rights Symposium
Students at Englewood High School had the opportunity to learn more about the civil rights movement and discrimination when Delores Shaw, wife of retired Florida Supreme Court Justice and Florida's first black chief justice Leander Shaw, and her daughter, Delores Shaw King, spoke to students on April 23.
Speaking first, Delores Shaw King explained that as a black child growing up in Jacksonville, she did not realize that discrimination existed because her parents did their best to shelter her from its effects. It was only as an adult, after she began having deep conversations with her parents, that she became fully aware of the discrimination that existed during her childhood.
Next, her mother Delores Shaw, a retiree from the Jacksonville Public Library system, talked to students about the discrimination that existed in Jacksonville when she and her husband moved to the city to take part in the civil rights movement. Students were surprised to learn that black people had to use different restrooms, attend all-black schools and did not have access to many of the amenities that white people did, like the beach.
Mrs. Shaw realized that "if you don't like something, you have to try to change it," and she got involved with different committees and boards, and became involved in protests around Jacksonville to fight for the rights of blacks.
Eventually, a law passed allowing black students to attend white schools, schools that typically received more funding and provided a better education, as long as the black students provided their own transportation to and from school. Members of the black community joined together to provide transportation to black youth.
Mrs. Shaw explained how she really started to see desegregation work when black students were allowed to participate in sports with white students. As the students worked together athletically, they began to understand and appreciate each others' differences.
Before leaving, Mrs. Shaw had one last piece of advice to share with the students.
"Things are changing and we have had many successes, but we need to keep progressing," she said. "Don't dwell on the past, but don't forget the past because it will shape your future."
Delores Shaw and Delores Shaw King's visit was part of Englewood High School's week-long Civil Rights Symposium, organized by Gail Berzins, social studies teacher and Michelle Brooks, media specialist. The school's media center was set up as a museum. As students students toured, they viewed archival photos and information about the civil rights movement, while listening to the songs of the movement. Books, as well as audiovisual materials, were on display for students and faculty to view and check out. Students also had the opportunity to ask questions, which were answered by museum curators Berzins and Brooks.
Other featured guests and topics included: Camilla Thompson and Bettye Sessions discussing Brown vs. Board of Education; Jean Downing, Maxine Engram and Pat Pearson of Ribault 10; Mrs. Rutledge Pearson and Miss Pat Pearson discussing the era of their husband/father, Mr. Rutledge Pearson, former president of the local chapter of the NAACP and Duval County Public Schools teacher; Alton Yates, civil rights activist; Janet Johnson and Attorney Earl M. Johnson, Jr. discussing the era of their husband/father, Attorney Earl M. Johnson, who represented Dr. Martin Luther King in federal court; and Rodney Hurst, author of It was never about a hotdog and a Coke, a personal account of the 1960 sit-in demonstrations in Jacksonville and Ax Handle Saturday. Mr. Hurst came to Englewood under the sponsorship of the City of Jacksonville's Much Ado About Books.
Jacksonville Suns Promote Reading at Duval County Elementary Schools
Fifth-grade students at Central Riverside Elementary had special visitors on April 24, when Peter Bragan, Jr., president of the Jacksonville Suns and Southpaw, the team’s mascot, presented the "Casey Challenge" as part of the Jacksonville Suns "Catch Reading Fever" campaign.
The purpose of the "Catch Reading Fever" campaign is to encourage students to read and to strengthen the reading comprehension of fifth-graders.
During his presentation, Bragan, discussed the importance of reading and quizzed students on their reading comprehension. He then recited the baseball poem Casey at the Bat and challenged students to memorize the entire poem. Those who did were rewarded with a Suns replica jersey or a genuine Louisville Slugger bat. The students were also challenged to read 10 books before Reading Day at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville to receive a free ticket to the game on Sunday, May 18.
"The students who are treated to this annual event absolutely love it," said Pam Picray, media specialist at Don Brewer and Central Riverside Elementary schools. "We are very lucky to have a professional organization, like the Jacksonville Suns, that works to increase literacy with our school children!"
The Casey Challenge began in 1989 when Bragan read at R. L. Brown Elementary School at the insistence of Carolyn Kantor, then Duval County Public Schools director of media specialists. Kantor, a retired principal who is now working as a Fast Forward reading teacher at R. L. Brown, helped start a tradition. The program now reaches approximately 2,500 students a year and has affected more than 40,000 Jacksonville area elementary school children since its inception.
The Jacksonville Suns "Catch Reading Fever" campaign has visited the following elementary schools this year:
| Loretto Elementary |
Twin Lakes Elementary |
| Crown Point Elementary |
Jacksonville Beach Elementary |
| Mandarin Oaks Elementary |
Neptune Beach Elementary |
| Stockton Elementary |
Central Riverside Elementary |
| Ortega Elementary |
Hendricks Avenue Elementary |
| Cedar Hills Elementary |
Pine Forest Elementary |
| Normandy Village Elementary |
Greenfield Elementary |
| Oak Hill Elementary |
Love Grove Elementary |
| Venetia Elementary |
Hogan-Spring Glen Elementary |
| Finegan Elementary |
Sheffield Elementary |
| Sabal Palm Elementary |
Oceanway Elementary |
| Kernan Trail Elementary |
Holiday Hill Elementary |
And the Freedom Award Goes To...
Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland announces the winners of the 2008 Countywide Student Voter Registration Drive “Freedom Award.” Of the 55 participating schools, six awards will be given to the public and private schools, five that had the largest percentage of students registered and one to the school that registered the largest number of students.
The winners of this year’s 2008 Countywide Student Voter Registration Drive in Duval County public schools are: Douglas Anderson School of the Arts which registered 70% of eligible students who were 16 and older, Paxon School for Advance Studies registered 47% of eligible students and Sandalwood High School registered 66% of its eligible students. The private school winners are Foundation Academy with 45% of their eligible students registered and Providence School which registered 40% of its eligible students. Mandarin High School registered a total of 923 students making them the winner for registering the most students.
The winners of the 2008 Countywide Student Voter Registration Drive for the public schools were broken down into three categories according to their overall student population: small schools that had 650 students or less that were eligible to register, medium schools that had between 650-950 eligible students, and large schools who had 950 or more eligible students.
This year’s countywide student voter registration drive was held in public and private high schools, public and private college and universities as well as technical schools throughout Duval County. The total number of students registered during the 2008 Countywide Student Voter Registration Drive was 7,714.
For additional information about the winners of the Freedom Award, contact Tracie Collier at (904) 630-8026 or (904) 219-0792.
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