What Are The Causes Of Growing Up In Jail By Susan Brooks

Susan Brooks was born in Buffalo, New York in 1940. She recalls that, while the conditions weren’t as terrible as in the south, segregation still occurred. The main difference was that in the south, segregation was governed by law, while in the North, real estate agents would steer blacks towards certain neighborhoods. There were no African American students at her school before the Brown vs. Board of Education decision. After the Supreme Court’s decision, there was only a small difference, as her school wasn’t close to a black neighborhood. She doesn’t recall many protests taking place. She knew some people who objected to the decision, but others were in full support. A few of the students in her high school that she kept in touch with later went on Freedom Rides. Brooks thought it was certainly a less hostile environment then in the

Her parents weren’t overly fond of African Americans, but she made friends with a black student who transferred into her school. Brooks says that she was horrified when she heard about the Bombing of 16th St. She recalls reading the newspaper the next morning and thinking, “How could something like this happen?” Protests seemed like they happened every day. The school incident in Little Rock, Arkansas hit especially close to home. “Students, only a year or two younger than I was, had to be escorted to school by federal troops because of the color of their skin.” Her husband, Marcus, was a member of the NAACP. He even attended the March on Washington before their marriage. She says that he would always say it was an inspiring experience. “Marcus would recall how terrified he felt on the way to Washington, but he was glad he went. Seeing all of those people in one place to support Black rights…” Brooks says she has seen footage of Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech, but her husband always said that seeing it in person was an unforgettable