1974: Violence in Boston over racial busing

In Boston, Massachusetts, opposition to court-ordered school "busing" turns violent on the opening day of classes when Negro kids were bussed into white schools and white kids were bussed into predominately black schools.

U.S. District Judge Arthur Garrity ordered the busing in an effort to integrate Boston's geographically segregated public schools. In his June 1974 ruling in Morgan v. Hennigan, Garrity stated that Boston's de facto school segregation discriminated against black children. The beginning of forced busing on September 12 was met with massive protests, particularly in South Boston, the city's main Irish-Catholic neighborhood. Protests continued unabated for months, and many parents, kept their children at home. In October, the National Guard was mobilized to enforce the federal desegregation order.

It is amazing that in a free society we had to use armed troops to force people to enjoy the wonderful benefits of integrated schools. I remember this as if it was yesterday. I was doing much of my own offset printing at the time and printed up reams of literature for distribution in the Boston area. I didn’t make the trip to Boston, however, Ralph Forbes did fly to Boston and was there for several days and distributed all the literature I had printed.

Unfortunately most of those people who were angry at the time have now become complacent and are too busy with life to be involved. If only they could recapture their spirit.

Yesterday I was in town most of the day. Tuesday is the day I carry a couple of books to read while Charity and Shelby Pendergraft (Heritage Connection - my granddaughters) continue their music studies. They are studying guitar, drums, violin and take voice lessons. We had talked about them adding mandolin to their array of musical talent and so they each bought a mandolin. I guess once you get the concept of music things become easier, by the time we got home they were already playing songs on them, Rocky Top and another old Irish melody which was used on their new CD and applied to the song, Free Christian People. They were playing several other songs also.

Go to, heritageconnection.tv, to hear some of the songs that appear on their new CD.

Don’t forget the White Christian Heritage Festival on October 20 in Pulaski, Tennessee.

Also we have a fellowship gathering at the Christian Revival Center on December 1 and 2. All our friends and supporters are welcome. Contact us and let me know if you are going to attend.

God bless!