By Johnny L. McCray, Jr., Esq.
The week of October 11-13th, an alumni coalition of 1974 Black high school graduates from all of Broward County gathered for a 50th-anniversary Class reunion.
First organized in 1994, the Broward County-Wide Class Reunion Class of ‘74 was created as ad hoc group to reunite the Broward County graduates who were impacted by school closings, and in the ideological name and wake of “desegregation”.
Although many participating ‘74ers were opponents on the sports field, they are nevertheless united by a common bond: co-beneficiaries of the sign of the times in the ‘70s, a pivotal time for race relations in our public schools.
Despite the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that racial segregation in public education was unconstitutional, unofficial segregation lingered for nearly two decades among Florida schools, which allowed students to attend wherever they felt most comfortable.
However, under increasing pressure from the Supreme Court, Florida school boards shut down traditionally Black schools and assigned their students to other schools. It was also believed that the School Board employed a practice of “star bursting,” i.e. bussing children from their neighborhood schools to several different schools to integrate those schools, and that this practice was applied only to Black children and therefore violated their constitutional right to equal protection under the law.
To remedy the effects of this social and educational malady, our ten-person steering committee recognized that class reunions hold a special place in the hearts of alumni. They provide an opportunity to reconnect, reminisce, and strengthen the bonds formed during those memorable school years or repair the bonds that were not augmented due to sanctioned student scattering.
As a member of the steering committee, I am intimately aware of our hard work and diligence overtime to provide the kind of leadership that was necessary to make this epic event happen. It helps that many are retired, although our retirees are some of the busiest retired people I know.
Reunion activities began on Friday evening with a “Meet and Greet Fish Fry” at the lovely home of Ronnie and Janice Hayes in Oakland Park. On Saturday evening, over 200 classmates and their guests were present, elegantly dressed in black and gold, at the ’74 Golden Celebration Gala, held at the Embassy Suites by Hilton. We were blessed with a compelling inspirational message by Reverend Fredrick Davis. The beauty of the evening was evidenced by the ‘74ers trip to “Nostalgia”, as well as the significant historical facts and events 50 years ago, which imparted by Ronnie Hayes and yours truly. Popular DJ Sco of Hot 105 masterfully mixed the music; he was terrific! Soloist Stephanie Hayes performed songs from our era with her smooth vocals and jovial personality. I had the pleasure of serving a Master of Ceremony, surprising many with my wit and humor, as many only knew my serious lawyer demeanor. Several prizes were given to our guests, adding even more excitement to the evening.
On Sunday morning, ‘74ers appeared in large number to worship and fellowship at First Baptist Church Piney Grove. Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Ezra L. Tillman, Jr., delivered a powerful and timely message. The weekend celebration culminated on Sunday afternoon with a dinner at Tropical Acres Steakhouse. We were graced by the presence of Hot 105’s Rodney Baltimore, our emcee, and again, DJ Sco rocked the house. Local musical artist Urban Mystic performed his hit singles, “Where Were You” and “I Refuse”, among other nice cuts. We had a blast from the past. We partied like it was 1974!
Like a new yearbook, the weekend’s events were an amalgamation of the present and the past. Looking back is vital, because 74ers are the beneficiaries of our parents’ pioneering efforts and other civil rights advocates who fought to combat the woes within the education system in the 1970s that arguably no longer exist.
The steering committee saw the program emerge from a simple idea to an extraordinary reality in a matter of months. Credit is due to the dynamic committee members, a group of diverse alums from high schools county-wide (Vernon Dooling, Janice Hayes, Ronnie Hayes, Kenneth Howard, Marcia Jenkins, Annie Kelsey, Johnny McCray, Jr., Linda Oriabure, Guy Wheeler, and Gwendolyn Wilson-Robinson). My fellow alums volunteered their time and enthusiasm to make the reunion happen. Like the community, the alums have persevered for 50 years, nurturing this reunion as a labor of love. Special thanks to Committee Chairperson Gwendolyn Wilson-Robinson, and especially to Committee Treasurer Janice Hayes, who was the impetus for our zealous energy and unwavering faith to deliver excellence.
Proudly, my classmates showed up and showed out. We celebrated reaching the golden jubilee milestone and recalled how we thrived both in spite of and because of the conventional norms of those years. The Broward County-Wide Class of 1974 hails an indelible mark of love, legacy and leadership throughout the community, which resonates with generational influence of service, sacrifice and selfless commitment to the pursuit of progress, equality and justice.