White Students in Black School Share Experiences
Southfield High has seven Caucasian students this year. Here are three of them: (from left) freshman Jeremy Maddox, freshman Mark Holcomb and junior Alexander Mays.
Of the 927 students enrolled at Southfield High School this year, seven are Caucasian.
The school is largely comprised of African-American students, which is a huge demographic shift from what the school was in the 1960s and 1970s, according to teachers, yearbooks and alumni.
The seven Caucasian students are now living as minorities in a school where Caucasians were once the majority, said Biology teacher Craig Bonnington, who has taught at Southfield High since 1977.
“The school’s population shifted from white to black about 20 years ago, maybe more,” says Bonnington.
But the Caucasian students say it’s no big deal to them to attend an African-American school. “I’ve been in Southfield my whole life,” says junior Alexander Mays. “It has always been that way.” He says he’s not bothered by being the only white student in his classes. He says he is not teased about being white at a black school but is sometimes teased about his good grades.
Freshman Jeremy Maddox has had a somewhat different experience. “I don’t (feel isolated), but sometimes they call me ‘white boy,’ ” says Maddox.
School Counselor Tom Holliday says it can be difficult to be the only one of a kind in any situation. The only white student, the only Asian, the only Latino, the only African-American. He suggests, “Use the fact that you’re different to the best of your ability.”
Caucasian freshman Mark Holcomb says, “It’s not that different” being one of the handful of white students at the school. “It’s been that way everywhere I’ve been,” he said, referring to being around mostly black students his whole life.
Social studies teacher Jamie Glinz says he attended Southfield High in the 1990s when there were only a few white students in the school. But he says he had a wonderful experience as a white student in a predominantly black school. In fact, he was elected Homecoming King and was the star athlete of the school, as the center of the basketball team, the pitcher on the baseball team, the kicker on the football team, the number one singles player on the tennis team and a star on the soccer team.
Glinz says he liked Southfield High School so much that he chose to come back to his alma mater and teach.
Eric Larsen • May 14, 2014 at 12:33 am
In the early 60s a civic organization — it was said to be the Catholic Church or even the NAACP — bought a house in the area of 12 Mile Rd. and Lasher. They moved a black family in and the neighbors on at least one side of the home tried to buy the property in between their home and the black family’s residence to “protect their property values.” Supposedly the first black family left within the following year and a new family moved in. The next family had a 10th grade son with whom I became friends. We were on the JV football team together. He was the first black student at SHS. I do not recall if he graduated. This is the best I can recall. But, it was simply no big deal about him attending the high school and nor was there a big deal about the family moving into the home provided for them. Many people wondered why it was even necessary in Southfield. I guess it was because many of our parents worked in the automobile industry — from the assembly lines, management, or supportive manufacturing plants — and those work places were integrated. This is what my sister, brother (’66), and I (’67) can recall. Someone might have other facts or variations. But I though it might be interesting to hear about the first black student at SHS.
Regan Turner • Jan 15, 2014 at 7:54 pm
My have times changed.
Robert Turner • Jan 15, 2014 at 7:53 pm
I didn’t know Ashley knew how to write this good. Check you out.
Martez Calhoun • Jan 15, 2014 at 7:51 pm
Our school used to be full of white kids. When did this happen?
breanna washington • Jan 15, 2014 at 7:50 pm
Aye, s/o to my girl Ashley, I see you.
Terrence Works • Jan 15, 2014 at 7:49 pm
It was a nice story but the photo could’ve been better.
Kelsee' Jackson • Jan 15, 2014 at 7:42 pm
I knew that our school had a lot of white kids in the past, I just didn’t know when.
Kalen Watts • Jan 15, 2014 at 7:40 pm
I liked the story because this is my first year in a Southfield school and I didn’t know there were mainly white students at some point.
Miguel • Jan 13, 2014 at 2:50 pm
This is an interesting story