His great aunt fought segregation in the South
Larry Austin’s great aunt was one of the Clinton 12, who were the first black students to integrate a southern public school.
“I lived in California most all of my life, but my family’s roots are in the South. Back in the 1950s, my great aunt and other black students were traveling over 20 miles to school every day when there was another school much closer. My grandmother’s mom petitioned the courts to desegregate schools in Tennessee, and she eventually won.
“My great aunt was one of 12 black students to walk through the doors of Clinton High School in 1956. They were the first black students to integrate a southern public school, and they became known as the Clinton 12.
“It wasn’t easy for them. They were spit at, yelled at, and rocks were thrown at them. Of course it drew Klan attention, and there was a dynamite blast near my family’s home. So they decided to move to California.
“Years later one of the schools in Clinton was turned into a museum and they built statues of the 12 students, including my great aunt, Alvah J. McSwain.”
How does that make you feel?
“It makes me proud. They went through a lot. But it reminds me that no matter what adversity you might face, you should keep pushing. You should keep trying.”
— Larry Austin
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