50th Class Reunion

Last weekend, I attended the 50^th anniversary class reunion of the Arlington-Green Isle High School class of 1967.  Where has the time gone?!?!!

This got me thinking about tolerance 50 years ago.

Race riots were tearing cities apart in Detroit, Newark and other major cities.   

Homosexual acts between consenting adults was a crime. 

On a more progressive note, the first African American was elected mayor of Cleveland, and Thurgood Marshall was appointed the first African American member of the United States. Supreme Court. 

At the Boston Marathon in 1967, the first female runner, Kathy Switzer, ran the race without having been accepted.  In fact, Marathon official attempted to pull her out of the race.  Her boyfriend and other (male) runners protected her so she could finish the race. 

In 1967, Executive Order 11375 expands President Lyndon Johnson's affirmative action policy of 1965 to cover discrimination based on gender. As a result, federal agencies and contractors must take active measures to ensure that women as well as minorities enjoy the same educational and employment opportunities as white males.

I have a more personal story I recall from high school.  I played the bass drum in the high school marching band.  Our school, along with many others from across Minnesota, was invited to attend a Minnesota Golden Gopher football game and perform along with the University marching band at half time.

On one occasion, it was a rainy morning, so instead of rehearsing in the old Memorial Stadium, we went to Williams Arena for rehearsal.  After the rehearsal, the University Director gave a little speech, in which he said he hoped each one of the high schoolers present would consider attending the University of Minnesota after graduation, and would try out for the Golden Gopher marching band.

At which time, members of the current marching band yelled out that we were not all eligible to become members of the Golden Gopher marching band.  How could they tell that, being on the basketball court and we in the stands?  They didn’t know anything particular about any of us……

Except that there were young women in the high school bands, and women were not eligible to belong to the University’s marching band.

Oh, my, how times have changed!  In the (sexist) words of that old cigarette commercial, “You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby!”