This special webpage is dedicated to our fellow classmates who were desegregated from Booker High School. We are all aware that few African-American members of our class have attended our past reunions, attributable to the tensions of our high school years and the continuing perception that racial divisions of 40 years ago still define our relationships and our possibilities.This was a challenging time for all of us, and we are focused now on enlightenment and coming together for who we are today. We pledge to continue it.
We are excited to report that through our efforts, this reunion has had the best mix of friends ever! Click here to check out the Sarasota Herald Tribune article, published on April 29, 2010, chronicling the challenge and our progress, as well at the followup story published on May 2, 2010, and a Letter to the Editor.
We will continue to add to this page...please E-mail us with your thoughts or post them on our Guestbook webpage.
Booker Experience Meetings: The third Thursday of every month at 7:30 p.m., Sarasota City Hall, 1565 First Street, Conference Room 109 unless otherwise posted. We will gear up again on September on Sept. 16th!
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Our 1st meeting in June 2009:
L. to R. STANDING: Gerald Law, Linda Hicks, Shelia (Hammond) Atkins, Liz
(Baskerville) Beahm, Fredd "Glossie" Atkins, Alicia (Byrd) Fruehwald, Robert Toale,
SEATED: Edward
"Duke" Wheeler, Paul Reubens, Gloria (Anderson) Mines
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"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek."
Barack Obama
"The future started yesterday...we're already late!"
John Legend
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The link below is lengthy but well worth your reading time
for a better understanding of the history and the challenge.
It is in three parts:
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We had a great one year Anniversary dinner meeting at Patrick's on June 17, 2010!
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Our Pre-Reunion Winter Warmup event at Marina Jack on December 23, 2010 was amazing! It was great to see all of you and to celebrate old memories and new friendships! We plan to to this event again in 2010, so stay tuned!
Click here for a You Tube video of the Winter Warmup
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Photos from our Booker Experience Meetings...
Our group is growing!
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Paul Reubens, Gerald Law, Fredd Atkins, Ron & Liz Beahm, Brenda Mays, Gloria Anderson Mines, Georgia Williams Simmons, Linda Hicks, Lymus Dixon, Lance Sloan Shabazz, Jim Carr, Jane Sue Shumway, Mike Hartenstine, Joni Heck Miller, Leslie Beahm, Julie Specht Studer
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Edward "Duke" Wheeler, Brenda Mays, McArthur Sellars
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Ken Waters, Robert Toale
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Fredd Atkins, Lymus Dixon, Wendy Cunningham Warren
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Edward "Duke" Wheeler, Brenda Mays, McArthur Sellars, Shelia Atkins
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