Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Dr. Joyce Hopson Addresses Oak Grove Reunion

Dr. Joyce Hopson was the keynote speaker at the Oak Grove Reunion recently.

Her topic to the audience was "What Shall We Tell The Children?"

"We come to celebrate and commemorate our rich heritage and long legacy of a rainbow of memories," she said.

She said their legacy is one of academic excellence, community solidarity and social responsibility.

But when trying to measure heritage, it must be kept in mind the proper measuring rod should be used. It must also be kept in mind how these goals were reached.

Hopson talked about rainbows of memories, with all having endured pain, anxiety, threats and fears, but the rainbow outshone all with joy, happiness, peace, satisfaction and celebration.

The focus of the rainbow, she said, was strengthened and made secure by faith.

Rainbows, she said, have stars, all sorts of illuminations, comets and suns, and are always in the firmament.

On September 4, 1957, she said, some 43 years ago, the National Guard had to be empowered by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to escort nine African American children to school in the face of howling mobs, students and teachers, who had just finished with their morning prayer in school, to degrade the humanity of these nine students.

These mountains, she said, had to be scaled, though the climbers had few roots to hold onto and endured an avalanche of rocks as they climbed.

"What shall we tell our children?" she asked. "Tell them we always moved to a higher vision."

By being morally centered, she said, and not fainting in the heat of battle has helped to prevail.

She suggested reminding the children of the hardships their parents and grandparents have gone through to get where they are today.

The children, she said, should be told of the long, hard hours everybody worked, along with a community that fought to give its last cent to the cause.

But, she continued, tell them what the rainbow legacy of Oak Grove High School meant.

According to Hopson, each of the letters had a different meaning in the word rainbow. R is for risk, which reaps rewards. A is for attitude, one of a person's greatest assets. I is for intuition, the all-natural, built-in thermostat for signaling change. N is for now, for being ready to make each moment count. B is for brainpower the best demonstration for who a person is. O is for organization, which sets the spirit free, with W being for willpower, to rise to the top of the crop.

"Cherish the memories of the rainbow," she said, "look back but don't stare. I invite you to wrap yourself in all your heritage. Think of it is as a warm, enveloping quilt that gives you strength and comfort to make it through even the most trying times."

Hopson said the children should be told how those of Oak Grove worked and learned together, sharing a similar closeness bonding them together through the years.

They should be told, she said, there are reasons to be hopeful. The battle against slavery was won, as was the right to vote.