The Evening Compass; September in Boston

Woman Announcer: Columnist Robert Novak and George Will, Lou Harris of the Harris polls and William Van Allstein join "Impacts" correspondents to discuss the President's pardon and how it came about. Be here for "The pardon, a new debate", tonight at 10 o'clock. Still confused about busing in Boston? Stay tuned for COMPASS team special on the entire desegregation story next. Good evening I'm Ed Baumeister. This is the week and this next 90 minutes is designed to give you information about what happens this week when Boston schools open under a federal desegregation order. You can call in to a special telephone number 4 9 2 1 1 1 1 and find out precisely where your child will be picked up and precisely when. If your child will be bussed to school for the first time this fall. We'll hear from the mayor. We'll have coverage of today's anti-busing demonstration downtown. We'll have with us Deputy Mayor Robert Kiley. And, as well,

John Coakley of the Boston School Department to talk about last minute city preparations. And Boston Police Deputy Superintendent Paul Russell to talk about safety plans. And William Reed headmaster of South Boston High School and workers from the city Youth Activities Commission which has been working this summer with Boston students. That telephone number again for bus route information is 4 9 2 1 1 1 1. First we're going to hear from the Mayor Kevin White. We videotaped the following earlier today. Mayor Kevin White: Good evening. As we all know in three days the city of Boston will face one of our greatest challenges. It is a challenge created by no one individual directed against no particular neighborhood and mounted to the advantage of no single group. And yet it is a challenge faced by all of us and one that must be met by all of us.

If we are to save our city; If we're to protect the safety of our children. If we are to preserve our sense of pride and purpose as a people. This is a serious time in the life of this city. It's a time to put politics just to one side. It's a time to consider only the people of Boston: our friends, our neighbors, our children. Now for the past five months I have met with parents of Boston school children in their own homes. To learn about their concerns and apprehensions. I have been in over 100 living rooms in all sections and neighborhoods of the city. I've talked to White and to Black parents. I've listened to specific grievances and to personal frustrations and I have felt their shared parental fears. I've listened to mothers and I've heard the anguish in their voices: voices explaining the inconvenience and the hardship the parents and children both will be forced to endure. For example, I listened to a black mother in Mattapan, a working mother, whose three daughters will

be reassigned from a neighborhood school that is now within walking distance of her home. And bused instead to two separate schools. I talked to mothers in Hyde Park, angry that they're losing a middle school. And I've talked to mothers in West Roxbury whose kindergarten children will have to ride the school bus. So I've seen and I've heard for myself - I've tried hard to listen to those voices within our city. I don't want to need the advice of those who live outside our city, who view busing as a solution to racial imbalance. So long as it stays within the city limits, those who talk about it being the law but who remain immune from implementing the law. Well, we in Boston have fought that suburban siege mentality too long and too hard and our efforts for metropolitan solutions have been resisted too consistently for us to trust that judgment or sincerity. No I've

trusted instead the wisdom and the common sense of a mother in Dorchester. The judgment and instincts of a father in Roxbury. And I have depended upon the counsel and the cooperation of teachers and students throughout the city from South Boston to Brighton. And it is with this collective wisdom with this judgment and with this counsel that I come before you tonight. After five months of meeting and listening to more than two thousand mothers and fathers in the intimacy of their own homes, I want to talk this evening to all the parents of this city about the opening of school three days from now. It won't be easy for any of us, not for you and not for me. No one can suggest that the next few weeks will not test our patience and our compassion. Let's be honest with ourselves. It's a tough time to be a senior in high school.

It's a trying time to be the mother of an elementary school child in Boston and it is not, I suppose, the greatest time to be mayor of this city either. But it is our time. And we must make the best of it and we are all of us faced with the difficult task of implementing a federal court order. The city has exhausted all legal avenues of appeal at the cost of almost in excess of a quarter of a million dollars. But at the end of all of these efforts the judge's finding stands. And his order that remedies be implemented this fall must, and will, be carried out. The remedy chosen imposes individual hardships and it creates, in my opinion, arbitrary burdens on the city. But it is now the law and as the traumatic events of the past several months in Washington have shown all of us, we are a government of laws, not of men. No man, not even a President

stands above the law and no city or group within it, can also stand above the law. We cannot avoid the situation that will be upon us in three days. But we can and we must control it. We cannot permit our city to be polarized by race, or to be paralyzed by fear. Boston is a great city, a city of neighborhoods, with a clearly defined, proud of their past, conscious of their sense of community... Neighborhoods that are dynamic and diverse, and yet bound together by the history and the progress that is Boston. From these separate neighborhoods comes our collective strength as a city. Strength to preserve ethnic identity, or promoting city unity...Strength to respect differences, of pursuing common goals and strength to satisfy specific needs while reinforcing our commitment to cooperate

and to trust one another. And it is this trust that I call upon tonight and the days in the weeks to come. And it is with this cooperation among neighborhoods between black and white for the good of our city, that we will unite to meet the challenge ahead. Now, this doesn't mean that we have to like the law. I'm for integration and against forced busing and those positions are not mutually exclusive. And it doesn't mean that we cannot express our dissatisfaction - a vast majority of those who have raised their voices in opposition to busing, are neither racists not bigots. They are concerned and responsible citizens exercising their right to voice their views. And Boston has long been and will ever remain the city of liberty and of free speech. Boston is also a seat of mature and civil conduct, of peaceful protest and we will with like

determination, take any and all measures necessary to preserve public safety. The city belongs to no one individual. She is yours and she is mine. We can differ as to how she should be run. But dedicated and responsible citizens, we will stand together in defense of our safety and the safety of our children. That much is our duty. And our fulfillment to this duty will determine the destiny of our descendants, not only our children but our grandchildren as well. So tonight, on September 9th 1974, we find our city on notice. Faced by an order to implement a plan in which there is no consensus, challenged by the need to preserve our decency, despite our differences. And as we are on notice tonight as Mayor, I'm serving notice.

To those who would resort to violence or use our school children as instruments of political or personal gain in the days ahead, to every mother and father, I pledge tonight that your Mayor and that your police department will tolerate no threat to the well-being of your children. The police commissioner, DeGrazia, who will pursue relentlessly anyone and everyone - when dangers are students, black or white, high school or grade school, and that the power of the prosecution faces all who would take the law into their own hands, in any way. To those who would violate the order and peace of our city, and those who would exploit the tensions of this week and the weeks to come, jeopardizing the young and the innocent, I promise swift and sure punishment. We will pursue and prosecute any individual, white or black, male or female, young or old who tries to interfere with any child's right to go to school.

I know the court order presents us with a complicated plan. No one believes the problems won't arise or the best of intentions can fully anticipate the unexpected. But those among us who cannot agree with the plan must remember that compliance with the law does not mean acceptance of it And that toleration does not mean endorsement. Now to those who do not believe in violence but who choose to keep your sons and daughters at home, that is your decision. But I ask you to consider carefully the consequences of that act. What happens to your children in October and November and the middle of December? How will they catch up to their classmates when they return to school? Who will explain to them why they have fallen behind and how will they ever get ahead? These are difficult questions every parent must answer. To his

or her own child. Our job must be to minimize the hardships imposed upon these children, to keep them safe from harm and the poison of prejudice. But throughout this difficulty, we must remember and we must not lose sight. Or an awareness of the real issue involved -- good education. We live in an age when quality education is a necessity and the lack of it can jeopardize an entire generation. Busing must not distract us from it. Ours is the oldest public school system in the country. A school system that has produced great thinkers such as Holmes...Great writers and artists such as Emerson and Arthur Fiedler and great leaders like Cardinal Cushing and John McCormick. Our goal must be to sustain this legacy; To have the oldest school system in the country, the very best.

To involve parents in the process of instruction.... To return students to the excitement of learning... to encourage the teachers to devote their fullest energies to the tasks of education. And it can be done if we care and want to do it. But this goal will demand our undivided cooperation and common purpose for there can be no educational growth in Boston, if white and black become symbols of groups in conflict. The weeks ahead will bring problems. The public officials, community leaders and school administrators, have been cooperating and working day and night to minimize the difficulty to provide safeguards to maintain order in the confusing and hectic first days of school. For example, we've established a consolidated information center as a joint effort of the school department and the city agencies. It will be staffed in a 24 hour

basis. It will answer questions, control rumors, and provide assistance to parents, teachers and students. We've also united local police captains and fire chiefs, with the City Hall managers and Youth Resource Centers, and numerous neighborhood agencies in a one team, working together for the prevention and handling of potential problems at the neighborhood level. Superintendent Leary has hired over three hunderd monitors to ensure the safety of the school busses and Police Commissioner DiGrazia here has hired one hundred twenty five additional school crossing guards. Five hundred neighborhood residents, mostly parents, will be employed as transitional aides for the schools, and volunteers from churches near the bus stops will join in coordinated efforts to ease the period of student change. Overcrowding that we've heard so much about has been alleviated. And as quickly as possible, will be eliminated. And of course as we all know

the opening of school has been moved back. Back from September 4th to September 12th, Allowing us an extra week: more time for adequate teacher orientation. More time for parental and student preparation. More time for open houses held all day yesterday, today and tomorrow morning. And I urge every parent to go before making a final decision about your own child. Tonight. Tonight I'm making a personal appeal....to an entire city, that we all love. But for the moment I want to speak directly to those who will shoulder the greatest burden in the weeks ahead. To the teachers. Whose patience and cooperation will make all the difference when school is upon us. We ask you to help us keep a clear perspective. To help us remember that neither a pride not prejudice, but rather good education, must be our ultimate objective. To parents, I ask for

your help. The young children desperately need your guide and the older children, your example. And to the students, I tell each of you. No matter where you go to school, it will be your school and this will soon be your city. Don't let anyone destroy either of them. Don't underestimate your own talents and don't let anyone young or old sell you short. And most of all, do not forget your responsibilities to each other. The opening of school is upon all of us now but it is not too late to face the weeks ahead with determination. And it is never too late to show as a people that we have a fortitude, that we have the faith in our city, in our children and in ourselves to keep a difficult situation...

from becoming a tragic event. Recent years have presented us as a people with many tests. Tests of faith as we lost both the President and the Vice President through resignation and dishonor... Tests of the determination as we are struggling with years of increasing economic hardship and tests of courage. Now as our schools face their most critical hour. To meet the challenge before us with confidence and optimism, we must remember our duty and our commitment to this proud and historic city. We have not come three hundred years as a city without having faced great change. Boston has never failed to meet that change with courage, compassion and dignity and she will not fail now. With your help. With your strength and with a sense of decency for each other. Thank you and good evening. WGBH Host Ed Baumeister :That was Mayor Kevin White in a statement taped earlier today. We have a telephone number

here 4 9 2 1 1 1 1. If you call it our operators can give you specific information about bus routes for your child this week. Again, the number 4 9 2 1 1 1 1. What we're providing here tonight is information. If you know the school your child is going to, give that school name to our operator. Our operator can tell you precisely where your child will be picked up and at precisely what time. The number again 4 9 2 1 1 1 1 for that specific information. Tonight we're giving just information. There's some question in all the confusion that seems to be building as we come towards Thursday this week about exactly what will happen this week. Reporter Pam Bullard has a story on the precise details. Reporter Pam Bullard:The desegregation of the Boston Public Schools has become so clouded in controversy, debate and last minute preparations that many people have forgotten what exactly the city is doing

and how. The city is breaking down the walls that separate the white and black classroom. This is being done via the state balance plan. That plan does not affect the entire city. Outlying areas such as East Boston, Charlestown, West Roxbury and South Boston at the elementary level are virtually untouched by the plan. The main emphasis is on the core of the city, in particular, Roxbury in Dorchester. The plan will involve the transportation of eighteen thousand two hundred thirty five (18,235) students. Eight thousand five hundred ten (8,510) of those students are white, nine thousand seven hundred twenty five (9,725) are black. Eighty of the city's two hundred and four schools are affected by the desegregation. Sixty (60)of those eighty (80) schools involve students travelling by bus. Two hundred and forty buses (240) will carry these students. The majority of students who will be bussed will be traveling less than a mile and a half. Although the plan does not affect many of the city's predominately white schools, its effect is substantial. According to the State Board of Education, last year only 23 percent of the Boston school population was in an

integrated setting. After this desegregation, 71 percent of the city's schools children will be attending integrated schools. Busing is not new to Boston. Last year according to the State Board of Education, over 30,000 children were bussed to schools. However only 3000 were bussed for racial reasons. The desegregation process has also brought a uniform grade structure to the Boston public schools. The two previous systems resulted in a forced segregation but that has been eliminated and the usual kindergarten through 5, 6 through 8 and 9 through 12 grades are now policy in every area of the city. The plan is a first step. Further desegregation orders are expected by the federal court following this initial stage. But as for the record, Thursday, Boston joined such cities as San Francisco, Denver Pasadena, Prince George's County in Maryland, that have all segregated their public schools. Despite the warnings of politicians, those cities have for now survived the desegregation and now education is once again the work of the schools.

WGBH Host Ed Baumeister: Thank you Pamela. Our number again is 4 9 2 1 1 1 1. If you dial that number you can get specific information about the route your child will take to school this Thursday, if your child is being bussed for the first time. The number again 4 9 2 1 1 1 1. If you can tell the operator where your child is going to school and where you live, the operator can tell you exactly where and when your child should meet a bus. Should you get a busy signal, that doesn't mean that the whole circuit is gone. It means that all our phones are busy. Just hang up and call again. Reporter Judy Stoia is back with the telephone operators. Let's go to her now for some information about what's going on. Judith? Reporter Judy Stoia: Well, we just start to get a lot of calls and let me reiterate again what we can do for you if you call 4 9 2 1 1 1 1. All you have to do for us is tell us where you live, your street address, in what year your child is in school and then we can tell you exactly where your child be going to school on Thursday. We can tell you if there is

transportation available for your child to get to school. If there is transportation available we can tell you exactly where the bus stop will be for your child to go in the morning and exactly what time your child has got to be there to go to school. We can tell you what time school opens, what time they'll get to school. Beyond that, we can tell you the name of the principal or headmaster at that school and how to get a hold of him or her. This information you can get by calling 4 9 2 1 1 1 1. Most of the calls so far have been about bus routes and they've been about times the schools are opening. We're going to be checking back with the operators a little bit later to get a feel for what kind of phone calls we're getting. But we do invite you to call 4 9 2 1 1 1 1 to get information on transportation. Ed? WGBH Host Ed Baumeister: Thank you Judith. As the mayor noted, and it is no secret, not everybody in this city agrees with the federal court decision that will result in busing of Boston's students this fall. There was a demonstration today and reporter Pam Bullard was there. Reporter Pam Bullard: Anti busing demonstrations are not new to Boston. In the last 10 years there have been marches

annually, at times drawing as many as 30,000 peaceful protesters. Today there was another march and demonstration but it was different than those that have gone before. Today's march came three days before 18,000 public school children in Boston will board buses to begin the first stage of the school desegregation. Today the people who gathered on City Hall Plaza were angry. Their battle against busing has been lost. It was perhaps their last unified stand. The last huge expression of defiance. As in the past, the politicians were at the head of the march - Dapper O'Neil, John Kerrigan, Louise Day Hicks. Many of the other faces were the same. Mothers, fathers, and many, many children. They came from all parts of the city. Proud of their neighborhoods and disgusted with a court system that could send their children to school outside that neighborhood. They said they were coming to stand outside the federal building to tell senators Kennedy and Brook exactly how the city feels about their consistent support for busing. They were not kind. There

were placards that read "Ted and Ed, wish you were dead". Marches shouted remarks about Senator Brook's race and some placards brought up Kennedy's Chappaquiddick. But aside from the two senators, there was another man who was the subject of placards. Judge W. Arthur Garrity Jr. The general consensus was that Garrity deserved to be hanged. A new touch was the abundance of teabags apparently to signify the demonstrate that the demonstrators were in the same vein as those who tipped the tea into the harbor. There were American flags and of course, there were special T-shirts. (Shouting in background) The The chants and the singing were the same as previous marches. Only this time there was a marked determination or maybe desperation in the tone of the voices. (Demonstrators chanting): East Boston says no!! East Boston Says No! East Boston Says No! East Boston Says NO!.

Reporter Pam Bullard: These people felt their rights had been abridged. They were frustrated. There was not a black face in the crowd as had been the case in previous circumstances. This was a white protest with white Americans clinging to their patriotism. Following the Pledge of Allegiance, there was...God Bless America. And then a yellow bus rolled up and marchers posing as members of the Supreme Court exited. The speakers said it was the judges that had sold America down the river. There was a marked contrast between the speeches today and those in the past. Today, there was talk of white and black. In particular the rights of the white person. This was not heard before. Although there is little question that race is a point in Boston's desegregation, it always seemed an undercurrent before. But today it popped to the surface. There was frenzied concern for safety, but more than anything else there was that feeling in the air that these marchers were not kidding. They were not sending their kids to school. They were not obeying the law. And they were not going to be pushed around. Ed? Reporter Pam Bullard to Woman in Crowd: There are those who have watched the other demonstrations and insist that this demonstration the people seem

angrier than they were in the other. Woman: Oh yes definitely I've been on all of them for the past nine years. And we started small and we've gotten bigger. And I think they are angry because we have been ignored and school starts Thursday. And their backs are up against the wall. And this is... I think a very peaceful way of showing, all our marches have been peaceful. We have never had any trouble on any of the marches. Demonstrators Shouting More shouting Demonstrators shouting Pam Bullard Reporter: He knew he was in hostile territory, but never before had a Kennedy been met with such a reception in Boston. He was booed. The crowd would not calm down. They shouted at him. Some said "kill him". Even the speakers could not calm the crowd. The audience made the gesture of turning their backs on Kennedy. His attempt to speak failing, he left the platform. The crowd surged towards this once favorite son. It was a strange crowd to surround a Kennedy as he walked towards the federal building; tomatoes and

newspapers started flying and the nonviolence stopped. Crowd shouting Audio of crowd shouting Crowd noise [crowd noise] with. [crowd noise] [crowd noise] [crowd noise] Reporter Pam Bullard: The speakers did not try to stop the crowd. And after the incident, speakers further criticized Senator Kennedy. There were a few in the crowd who said they were disappointed with what happened. Others flatly deny that anything happened at all. Whatever, it was indicative of the crowd. It was bound to

happen, said one observer. It just seems that Kennedy was the catalyst. Earlier this morning when Senator Kennedy arrived in Boston, he spoke of the necessity of nonviolence in the city, saying how he had seen enough of it in his own life. Now he has personally experienced the wrath of the anti-busing mothers and fathers. There was shock and dismay with the crowd today. Now there is only a silent prayer that that anger and frustration in City Hall Plaza today will not turn into violence in the neighborhoods Thursday. WGBH Host Ed Baumeister:Thank you Pamela. Our number again here tonight is 4 9 2 1 1 1 1. If you call that number we can give you specific information about. what time and what place your child will be picked up, if your child is among those to be bussed. Again, we're in the business of strictly giving you information. The number again 4 9 2 1 1 1 1. Should you get a busy signal that doesn't mean that it's all over. Just hang up and try again. We have almost 20 phones, sometimes they'll all get tied up. The number once more 4 9 2 1 1

1 1. Back among those telephone operators as my colleague Judy Stoia. Judith? Reporter Judy Stoia:Yes, one of our volunteer phone operators is Shirley Campbell who's a member of the citywide Education Coalition. That's a group of people in Boston who have been working to understand and implement...(audio bleed thru of Julia Child! "Beautiful cheese"....) A. Police Deputy Superintendent Paul Russell: ....We'e run into alot of opposition in certain sections of the city and some sections for example where they definitely are not going to put a child on a bus. But there was talk for a while, months back, that a parent might occupy a seat in the neighborhood classroom if that they felt that their child should be attending. And in another section, a similar strategy, only that they're going do..uh, urge senior citizens to take a seat. But all this in recent weeks seems to have subsided and the general prevalent feeling now seems to be again, in two sections of the city primarily, that they will not put their child on a bus. But all are concerned about the safety of all children. Which is a very

healthy positive sign. Host Ed Baumeister: :Is there a police role in this situation where a parent does not send his child to school at least on the first day. I gather from what Mr. Coakley said that there isn't a police role. Police Deputy Superintendent Paul Russell: No sir, no. School attendance requirements fall within the purview of the School department and the school attendance supervisors. Host Ed Baumeister: So that if if a parent doesn't send his child to his or her child to their child's school, it will not, it will be up to the school department and not up to the police department. Police Deputy Superintendent Paul Russell : Correct. Host Ed Baumeister: On the first day, can you tell us something about the logistics of the police department? I believe the deputy mayor or perhaps Mr. Coakley of the school departmentis going to mentioned that the manpower will be beefed up significantly. Police Deputy Superintendent Paul Russell: Right. Well, traditionally, there's not been a police department in the country to my knowledge that publicly announces the numbers of men or the deployment of personnel. And I really can't see fit to divulge it at this point. It would really be within the responsibility and domain of the police commissioner to announce it. Host Ed Baumeister :So that uh...Police Deputy Superintendent Paul Russell: But we are aware of our responsibilities and will live up to them. Reporter Pam Bullard: Are you, are you comfortable with all the preparations that you've made? I mean, are you...

I know you can't be certain that nothing will happen but do you think that the police department has done everything that it possibly can at this stage? Police Deputy Superintendent Paul Russell: I really have been, yes. Reporter Pam Bullard : Okay, I know there's always that unexpected event somewhere. Police Deputy Superintendent Paul Russell:Sure... Reporter Pam Bullard: But... Police Deputy Superintendent Paul Russell: As much as you planned, if something that arises, but we've had a tremendous wealth of experience going back to the '60s and '70s when we talk about anti-war marches and demonstrations. Periods of campus unrest in almost every major college and university in the Boston area so.... Which is not what it means on the streets. Reporter Pam Bullard: Have you spoken at all with police departments of other cities that have gone through this process? Police Deputy Superintendent Paul Russell:Yes, we have. We've had administrators from Prince George County in Maryland, Rochester, New York, Seattle, Washington and Pontiac, Michigan. So we imparted a lot of, at least received a lot of their knowledge. Host Ed Baumeister: You had them come to Boston... Police Deputy Superintendent Paul Russell: Yes. Host Ed Baumeister:To talk about...Did they view the Boston situation and then give you their opinion of...? Police Deputy Superintendent Paul Russell: Well of course in Prince George County in in Maryland that's a county, as I recall, that is four hundred eighty six (486)square miles. Boston is only a tenth

that size. So you know, you really can't make valid comparisons on many occasions and we have, of course, strong neighborhood identities here in the city of Boston. Some of this seems very dissimilar to these other cities as I say. Reporter Pam Bullard: I know it always seems like the unspeakable but.... Is there a chance that a police officer may be a little bit hesitant to, you know, stop some of these protesters? Is that going to be a problem? Police Deputy Superintendent Paul Russell: They may be personally hesitant because some policeman have very strong personal feelings about this. Their own children are being involved by it. Their own wife may be one of the demonstrators. So they have to subordinate their personal opinions to their professional stance here. And they certainly will. I don't have the slightest qualms or hesitation about it. Host Ed Baumeister: Does the police department expect to be on this... I don't know how you put it in police terms, uh, "extended readiness" throughout the weekend and into next week? Police Deputy Superintendent Paul Russell: Ah, we have to be, Ed, sure. Host Ed Baumeister: So the weekend is as well an important time?

Police Deputy Superintendent Paul Russell: That's right. Of course we'll have to evaluate each day's occurences, you know, and have a critique and see just what what developed, how we could have improved our performance and how we intend to tackle...Host Ed Baumeister: You already have a sophisticated communications system but Mr. Coakley indicated that the school department is sophisticated its communication system somewhat more. Have you changed..? Police Deputy Superintendent Paul Russell: That will be down in the Information Center down at City Hall...at every school department representation, police department having representatives, Fire, MBC Police, MBTA Police, right down the line. Youth Activities. Host Ed Baumeister: But the police as far as a communication system is concerned are pretty well set up... Police Deputy Superintendent Paul Russell: Yes. Host Ed Baumeister: already. Reporter Pam Bullard: Have you been doing any dealing with the students themselves, at the student level? I know the police department has been working with parents and of course school officials but what about the students? Police Deputy Superintendent Paul Russell: Right. At these neighborhood the neighborhood level, the area police commander, the district captain, the fire officials, the officer of public service, a little city hall manager who has been the overall coordinator, has been using the youth activities staff workers to identify the student leaders and try to bring them in and even get more community

involvement such as the Home and School Association. So we're reaching out as far as we can and urging people to come forward....Reporter Pam Bullard:Will there, will there be police in some schools in Boston Thursday? Police Deputy Superintendent Paul Russell: In an operational sense, no. We'll have police officers, like community service officers, who has a usual routine. Visit the schools in their particular districts. But as far as having uniformed police officers in the school, no. Reporter Pam Bullard: Not inside but perhaps outside? Police Deputy Superintendent Paul Russell: That's the point around a perimeter depending on the intelligence report...Host Ed Baumeister: Well, how visible will the police be, say at South Boston High School where for the first time a significant number of black students will be, will be taken? How visible would you be there ? Police Deputy Superintendent Paul Russell: Our visibility approach, as far as uniform goes, as possible. I realize that some major traffic or major intersections are heavily traveled. You have to have a uniformed officer there. We are going to rely very heavily on our community service officers, our juvenile officers who citywide we have we have an excellent group of men. Because they know the student troublemakers, the ringleaders and so forth.

And hopefully we'll be able to move in, defuse the situation and neutralize that element. Reporter Pam Bullard: I know that last week Commissioner DeGrazia said the police would play a very low profile as far as no sirens, no blue lights flashing. Is that true? Police Deputy Superintendent Paul Russell: That is true. That's gone out in the guidelines that was distributed to all the members. Host Ed Baumeister Thank you very much Superintendent Russell. Police Deputy Superintendent Paul Russell: Thank you for having me. Host Ed Baumeister: As we saw earlier in Pam Bullard's report, there are parents who strongly protest the means of integration this week and may keep their children home. But there are other parents who will send their children to school this week. Some of them were at the open houses at Boston schools this week. Judy Stoia has a report. Reporter Judy Stoia: John Kenney, for one, is not upset about his daughter's transfer from Jamaica Plain High School where she went last year to English High this year. A longtime resident of Jamaica Plain, Kenny says he strongly favor school integration and is optimistic that more schools will integrate peacefully. Kenny: I've lived in the city of Boston all my life and uh, most of the schools I went to when I was you know, younger, were integrated. I see it as if the parents don't incite

the children, there shouldn't be real, any real problems. Kids basically get along very well together. Reporter Judy Stoia: Paula Kenney, her father and sister had their first look at English High School yesterday during the school's open house. Paula is calm about the integration process, but apprehensive about going to a new school. Paula Kenney (student): And when I found out I was going to English, I was surprised. I was kind of disappointed that I was going to English High high school. I didn't have nothing against going to English, but it was just that I wanted to be a lot of my friends I used to hang around with the year before that when I went to Jamaica Plain. So then I thought it out it out you know, I used to think of it alot. And I said well, English is a beautiful new school and last year I wasn't doing too well in school because, you know, it was just boring. But my friends back at home they are really disappointed that I'm going here. A lot of people are disappointed that I'm going here but that doesn't mean I'm going to lose their friendships. So... I'm not that worried about it.

School Representative : But just routinely as parents, you take care of your children, but sometimes you need a doctor. And I...their parents while they are in school. And sometimes I too need a doctor and so I need to know where you want your child to go if we can't reach you. I need to know how to reach you. And we have to have that kind of accurate information. If I'm going to do as good a job as I'd like to do and as you'd like to have me do. Paula Kenny (Student): I think when I go down to the cafeteria and eat... Like there's not hardly any friends that I was really close to from last year. But if they have different classes, and I get to go down there by myself, that's going to be pretty nerve- wracking because it happened to me before when I went to Hyde Park and I didn't even know a single soul. So, when I go to English, if I don't know anybody I just have to adjust to it but after a while I'll have a lot of friends, so I'm not worrying about it too much. Headmaster Robert Peterkin: Can I have your attention for a second? please? (background chatter) I'd like to... I'd like to thank you all for coming again and I hope you had a chance to look around English high school and talk to the faculty and get some of your questions answered.

And have had a chance to get somewhat as enthusiastic about the building and what's going to happen here in a few days as we are. Reporter Judy Stoia: Paula Kenney says she's not unusual, that when school opens many white students will be there even at schools like English which in past years were almost entirely black. Many parents apparently intend to ignore the proposed school boycott and go ahead with the integration process. Host Ed Baumeister: Our telephone number here is 4 9 2 1 1 1 1 if you call that number. Our operators here can give you specific information about when and where your child will be picked up this Thursday for the beginning of the Boston school year if your child is to be bussed the first time under the federal desegregation order. With us now is Dr. William Reid, who is the headmaster of the South Boston High School.

Pam? Reporter Pam Bullard: Dr. Reid, you have what's being billed as the most complex school district in the city right now. Rather than get into the politics of the problems let's first talk about the logistics of that district now. What exactly is going to happen? If we could go through the different grade levels in the annexes. Dr. Reid: We have five buildings. In the South Boston High School building on G Street. We'll have seniors and all the sophomores from the combined South Boston Roxbury area. The girls high school on Greenville Avenue, now officially the Roxbury High School will have all the juniors. The sophomores who were at South Boston high school last year have to go to Roxbury High School this year for their third year. And they also will have seniors from their own area probably. The annexes, we have three. The out street bath house, the Heart School and the Dean school. And from our paper enrollment, there should be about fifteen hundred youngsters enrolled

in grade 9. If the paper enrollment holds up. Reporter Pam Bullard: How many students are you talking about all, like...Well, let's start, how many are going to have at South Boston High? in the top grade? Dr Reid: Fifteen or fourteen hundred. Reporter Pam Bullard: OK and then at Roxbury High? Dr. Reid: 900 or 1000. Reporter Pam Bullard: OK. Dr. Reid: And Fourteen hundred and..4,000 plus and minus a few. Reporter Pam Bullard : Oh OK. Who...What's the racial composition going to be of ? Dr. Reid: About 37 percent. Reporter Pam Bullard: 37 percent black? Dr. Reid: Uh huh. Reporter Pam Bullard: OK, now how have you geared up for it now, how do you stand? I know when I was out there Friday, you had a problem with homeroom assignments and the computer broke down or whatever. Dr. Reid: Well, we didn't get from the computer the material we needed. So today we had a real working program. Trying to get a letter out to every youngster on our list. Telling him what building he went to. What his homeroom was; If he had to get a bus, where he got the bus. What the bus number was, and when it left. And these were all put in the local post offices by zip code tonight

for tomorrow mornings delivery. Reporter Pam Bullard; OK, so those parents should have that information tomorrow or Wednesday, hopefully. Dr. Reid: Tomorrow, if the post office is up to its overnight delivery. Host Ed Baumeister: Every year, every public official is misquoted in the newspapers at least once if not every time. But last week in the Globe, a statement was ascribed to you that went something like this: "If a student wanted, didn't want to come to school this Thursday, be my guest at the beach. Were you misquoted there? Dr. Reid: No sir. Host Ed Baumeister: What do you mean by it? Dr. Reid: If the youngster isn't going to be in the building I prefer he not be on ____street, I would much prefer he be down on the beach, out of trouble, out of harm's way for his sake and the communities' sake. Host Ed Baumeister: So your message is, if you're not coming to go to school, don't come at all. Dr. Reid: That's right. Host Ed Baumeister: Thank you. Reporter Pam Bullard: OK. How does the faculty and the staff feel now I mean are they ready for this? Are they...? Dr. Reid: I think so. We've done a lot of work, the faculty Senate has worked very cooperatively, we have a plan drawn up in which every teacher has an assignment opening day. I will go over it

again tomorrow to be sure everybody understands what is expected of them. And I'm sure from a safety angle, we've taken every precaution that we can to ensure the safety of any youngsters who come to the high school. Host Ed Baumeister: It's likely that some of the students, and you're dealing in some cases with fellows who are able to play football perhaps with the Foxboro New England Patriots, where they are now. How are the teachers alerted to students who might be more unruly than usual...this Fall? How are they going to handle them? You had a pretty homogeneous group there for years and now the composition has changed. Dr.Reid: Well....we, we assume that two thirds of the youngsters who come to the building will be so Boston youngsters anyway. The senior class and proximately half of the sophomores will be South Boston youngsters. We know the senior class and the people whom I'll have in front of the building are known to the students and the students know them. We've put a lot of care and who we put in key positions and we

expect that these people will be able to talk to our own students and take care of things. The youngsters who are coming from Roxbury we assume that they'll be escorted directly into the building. They will be met in the building by some teachers whom they know from past experience in the Roxbury schools and they'll be escorted to home rooms and we assume we'll have a reasonable...Host Ed Baumeister (interrupts): Has there been any communication over the summer? Between the personnel of South Boston High School and the student body? With student leaders? Dr. Reid: Yes, the student leaders were at the taskforce meeting at the local library. We talked extensively with them there and they were the ones who suggested that we have this student information night which was held last week at the Tynan Community School. That was a student originated idea. Reporter Pam Bullard: I know you, yourself have worked with the Roxbury Community on this and how, maybe you could explain.. explain what you've been doing, how you're trying to pull this together and whether or not you think you've

been successful? Dr. Reid: Well, we're trying to build up some confidence in the Roxbury community that if youngsters come to South Boston High School, they'll get a square deal. That they'll be treated exactly as we have treated South Boston High School students in the past, which we think is: you come, lay your cards on the table and we treat you the way a lady and gentleman expects to be treated and in return we expect that kind of conduct from the ladies and gentlemen who attend the school. Reporter Pam Bullard: What type of a reading are you getting from Roxbury now? I know that your open house yesterday didn't bring too many students. Dr. Reid: No, but we have a feeling from the Roxbury Community that a substantial number of your Roxbury youngsters intend to come to school. Reporter Pam Bullard: And what about the South Boston youngsters? Dr. Reid: You read the papers. (Chuckle) Host Ed Baumeister: Is what is in the papers fairly accurate that there will be.... Dr. Reid: It appears so. Host Ed Baumeister: It appears to be large numbers of absentees. How How are you going to deal with them? Does the school itself....? Dr. Reid: Patience. Host Ed Baumeister: Are you involved in any kind of outreach?

outreach to say to the students come back? Is your responsibility? Dr. Reid: We've worked with them. This student information night brought out some of that. These youngsters are very much concerned, youngsters of course are the pawns in this situation they have been very much concerned, because its their future that's at stake. They want to come to school. Many of them do. They want to play football, they want to play soccer. And if you don't come to school, you can't go to football practice, you can't go to soccer practice Reporter Pam Bullard: You can't get into college if you're a senior. Dr. Reid: These things concern these youngsters very much much. I think the youngsters are the ones who are very much upset over the whole situation and I think in many respects have been taken advantage of by people who....(background chatter) you know, may not have the youngsters true interest at heart although they are concerned with the youngsters' safety. Host Ed Baumeister: Recognizing all of this, what advice are you giving

your students right now. Dr. Reid: My advice to students : Obey their parents. Host Ed Baumeister: If the parent says don't go to school, don't go to school? Dr. Reid: That's correct. Host Ed Baumeister:At what point do you think this will all be resolved? That you'll be running a normal high school. Dr. Reid: Patience, patience. Host Ed Baumeister: Patience will do it but but at what point down the road? End of September? Dr. Reid: Could be. Host Ed Baumeister: You think it will take several weeks before it normalizes? Dr. Reid: Yes, I do. Host Ed Baumeister: Do you expect a somewhat normal situation at some point this semester? Dr. Reid: Oh yes, very definitely, sure, sure. I'll admit there are youngsters who will use this as a convenient excuse to drop out of school. These are youngsters who perhaps were not particularly enthusiastic about school in the first place and this gives them a good excuse to say "well, I won't go". This solves the problem for them then for the time being. Host Ed Baumeister:Thank you very much Dr. Reid. Our telephone number here is 4 9 2 1 1 1 1. If you call it, our operators can give you specific information about what routes your child will be taking, what route your child will be taking to school; if your child is to be bussed for the

first time this fall. Again our telephone number is 4 9 2 1 1 1 1. If you can tell the operator what school your child be going to and where you live, the operator will be able to tell you exactly where your child should meet the bus. My colleague Judy Stoia has been among the telephone operators and we go to her now to find out what's been going on. Reporter Judy Stoia: We've gotten hundreds of telephone calls tonight and of course they are all different from one another. They can fall into a couple of broad categories. I'd like to to speak now with Cindy Berman who is one of our volunteer telephone operators. Cindy, what sort of calls have you gotten this evening? Cindy Berman: Most of the parents have called concerning where the children will be going and where they will be picked up. However there has been some concern expressed about very young children having to walk long distances. Reporter Judy Stoia: Have people seem to not have gotten a lot of information? Cindy Berman: They have just asked straight up questions and I've answered them, so I guess they haven't gotten the information. There was, a teacher did call up from Hyde Park saying that they had gotten a lot of

mail returned, saying that there, that people had moved. And she called the post office and that had seemed to be where the followups were. Reporter Judy Stoia: Oh, I see some of the information may have been distributed and not reached the parents. Thank you very much. Another one of our telephone operators is Anne Damon who's taken a number of phone calls. Anne, what's been the subject matter of your calls? Anne Damon: Pretty much informational, Judy. People have wanted to know where their children can be picked up. Not, Not how many buses are going to be there. Many kids if they know what schools they are going to be going to, which is helpful to the people who have to take the calls and pretty much, just want to know what's going on and when it's going to be happening. Reporter Judy Stoia: Did you find much confusion or dismay over just the tactical opening of school, what's going to happen? Anne Damon: Not so much from the people I've spoken to tonight. As I say, they seem to know pretty much how the situation is going to be and what the organization is. They just want to know the details. Reporter Judy Stoia: OK thanks a lot. Ed? Host Ed Baumeister: Thank you Judith. We have with us now three representatives of the city's youth activities commission.

They are: Tom Duffy, Dalton Baugh, and Joe Glynn. What has been the role of the Youth Activities Commission over the summer? You've been, you've been busy? Dalton ?: Uh, the Youth Activities Commission has been mandated from the mayor's office and that mandate is the safety of all of the Boston students. Host Ed Baumeister: So, you've been working with Boston students, I understand? Tom: Yes we have. We're involved, Dalton and I in what they call the student involvement program which is a new program with youth activities. And what we have done is we've gone through some intensive training and then reached out into the community to try to identify students who would be involved in a particular school, a targeted school, across the city. Host Ed Baumeister: You might know better than anybody what the attitudes of the students are, we've been trying to puzzle about that overnight.

What do you find, Dalton, for instance? Dalton: One of the things that I've found thus far is that the students in the Mattapan district, at least, and North Dorchester are anxious to get back to school. There's not that much apprehension in terms of going to school. A lot of them I think are more concerned about the type of building facilities that are available. Than actually going to school with white children or black children. That isn't that new to a lot of the students. Host Ed Baumeister: Now have you been working primarily among black student?. Dalton: I've been working with black and Latin students. Host Ed Baumeister: And Latin. Dalton:Right. Host Ed Baumeister: What apprehensions do they have? They must have some. Dalton: Well I think, uh, most of it is sort of articulated in humor around "should I bring my gun or my knife"? But I think alot of the students that I've spoken to really don't feel it. Don't feel apprehensive as the adults do. Most of the students I've talked to are quite comfortable with the idea of changing schools, going to a new school, meeting new people.

Host Ed Baumeister: Now have you been working with with white students primarily? Tom ?: Primarily in a white area, Roslindale. However, there are... Host Ed Baumeister (interrupts): I'm curious about what apprehensions the white students have and articulate to you? Tom ?: Well, basically some of their concerns lie with the fact that in the past Roslindale High school did not have a large black population. They see that as somewhat...the coming uh integration as somewhat as an infringement upon their school. However, the majority of the students, the great majority of the students who I worked with are more than willing to go halfway and try to work together. Host Ed Baumeister: But you talked to them, you told them that this perhaps the right course to take. Joe ?: We have tried to develop a leadership development program. And through this we identified blacks from a particular

neighborhood and whites. We took them to the Cape, gave them a task of developing a program or an activity which would involve larger numbers from their school in September. We wanted to have a racial breakdown of 50 to 50 if possible. Maybe Dalton can elaborate a little bit more on that. Dalton: The basic concept was to have the youth design a program which would involve as many white and black children as possible in their schools. And essentially, they were consultants. They were paid a consulting, a consultants fee and asked to come up with a program. Host Ed Baumeister: So they have been involved over the summer. Dalton: Right. Host Ed Baumeister: I'm wondering now, this Thursday, what is the role of the Youth Activities Commission? What will you, you two be doing? I understand you'll be in the schools. Tom ?: That's correct. Dalton: Each of the Youth Advocates, that's the term that's being given to the youth workers who are.....Host Ed Baumeister: That's you, you're a...youth advocate. Dalton: Right, youth advocate. Dalton: Each of the youth advocates will be around the school area, inside most of the schools and

and probably at some of the pick up points and the drop off points. The idea behind us being there, the idea behind our whole involvement is to minimize conflict, as well as to get acquainted with the children. Youth activity represents a wide resource....for children, for youth. So that at some point we will be bringing those type of things to bear. Host Ed Baumeister: Now you know a lot of the kids who will be. Dalton: I think that it...Moved. Host Ed Baumeister: Correct? Dalton: Excuse me. Dalton ?: Yeah, but I think that it should be pointed out here that these people are going to be working in teams. Of one black and one non- black and they will be working as a team within the school. Host Ed Baumeister: So we have a team here? You two are working as a team? Tom ?: We don't work together. We are just representatives of the team. Host Ed Baumeister: You know some of the kids already... we only have 30 seconds. Have you made an effort over the summer to identify the leaders?

Tom?:We certainly have. We have got them involved in these different programs and also through contact with community people; teachers, principals have tried to identify the leaders so that when school starts, we will know who to go to who to reach if an occasion arises where we feel it's necessary. Host Ed Baumeister: Thank you all three. Tom, Dalton, Joe... Thanks a lot. Dalton, Tom: Thank you Ed. Host Ed Baumeister: The news directors of Boston televisions stations all say they are going to try to make sure that their coverage of integration this week doesn't become part of the story. All say they are conscious that the presence of newsreel cameras sometimes inspires action as well as records it. Mel Bernstein of WNAC TV puts it this way. "We don't want our cameras to be part of the story. But we have to cover the story". That sums up the dilemma. The electronic press learned in the '60s that it could find itself being used by demonstrating groups. Things happened in front of TV newsreel cameras that wouldn't have happened, had there been no cameras. Still as

WBEZ TV news director Bill Wheatley puts it, "it's a very difficult thing". "We're going to try to be as unobtrusive and remote as possible. We're trying not to become a factor". Jim Thistle, executive producer for News and Public Affairs at WCVB TV says that he has instructed his camera crews to maintain a low profile. And that, that might mean backing off and shooting with a long lens. There will be no live coverage by any of the channels at the schools on Thursday. Channel 5, which has a portable camera easily used in live remote telecasts, considers the camera and its equipment too large and too visible. Most of the coverage by the Boston television stations will be within regularly scheduled newscasts, although the stations say they are maintaining flexibility about special programming. The TV stations will have cameras at City Hall for live reports gathered from official sources. Channel 2 will carry live reports from city officials at 5

p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. These reports will be updated if necessary and repeated in their entirety at 11:00 p.m. on those nights: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Thank you for being with us. I'm Ed Bau meister. Good night. (Closing music....Sponsor "The automobile..."