My First 6 Months in *HELL* (a.k.a. MEMPHIS, TN.) <<Is there ne1 that shares a similar experience?> (homes, magnet schools)

[Mitchell09]

I AM

17 years old, White Male
11th grade, Northside High School (THANK GOD I'M GOIN TO PVT. SCHOOL NXT YEAR)

Just about 6 months ago, last December, my family moved to memphis for my dad's new job at Rhodes College, we moved into a prty nice lookin area of historic homes nearby. they decided that I would register at the distric high school, I was fine with this because Id gone to public school all my life. To be honest, it was a complete shock from day 1. I was the only white student in all of my classes, I believe there was maybe 5 or less of us in the whole school. Coming from the suburbs of Columbus, OH, this was strange to me.

During the 1st day, i was ridiculed for being a "white boy/cracker" more times than i could count. On top of being racially harassed, I was gawked at, threatned, and shoved around for absolutly no reason at all. I never thought I would ever think in a racially pregidoust mindset, but these last 6 months of HELL in Memphis has changed that.

MCS is a joke, and im not just saying that, it really is a JOKE. The teachers dont give an F about anything, The kids are basically handed the answers but somehow they still manage to fail, Ive never seen so many gang members, drug dealers and so much disrespect for older ppl and staff in 1 place. Oh and how could i forget, the constant smell of weed, I mean ppl are just passing around weed and pills in class, oh ya and bullets 2.

NOT TO MENTION if you even attempt to like participate or show interest in learning you are literally told to "shut the f*ck up B*tch a** white boy!", (I guess that wud probly explain why we have so many 18yr old sophmores) so i pretty much try 2 sleep through most of my classes cuz we rly don learn n e thing anyway. I mean pretty much all class time is spent by students making fun of each other, the occasional gang fight(Crips,Bloods,VicelORds,GD we got em all), or being extremely vulgar to the teachers (i really do feel sorry for them, especially subs, they get the worst of it.)

I would rather work in a sewer 18 hrs a day than deal with all the sh*t that MCS teachers have to deal with.

To put it blunty, my time in Memphis has made me believe that:

Memphis is a cesspool, A haven for worthless, uneducated, unmotivated, and thieving criminals who don't give a **** about anybody, not even themselves. HELL ON EARTH.

ANYWAYS... SORRY ABOUT RANTING I JUST NEEDED TO GET THAT OFF MY CHEST.
>>but seriosuly none of the above is an exageration, its just how life is at Northside High for the white kid

THANKS,

MITCHELL

[Bowyer]

Sorry to hear of your troubles. I don't doubt one word of what you say. Good thing you are going to a different school next year.

How this kind a behavior goes on in a public school is amazing. Who is in charge? And everyone wonders why there is mass exodus to the suburbs and county schools. Heavan help us!

[mjtinmemphis]

I am so sorry that you are going through that. If I hadn't lived here for 5 years, I wouldn't believe it.

I know many people that move here and 6 months later they are running of town due to the schools.

Not all black people are like that. There are just too many that are in Memphis. Stay focussed and get the heck out of hell. ASAP!!!

[Pearlbob]

Sorry about your situation. Good example of why adults need to do a bit of research when moving to a new city. All of Memphis is not like how you are describing, not even close. Try not to generalize, hopefully things will change for you.

[strumpeace]

Wow, Mitchell. That's awful. From what I've heard from others, yours is a pretty typical experience for the five to ten white kids who dare enroll in a Memphis public high school.

Best wishes.

[iluvmem]

What a tragic mistake your parents made!!!! Even though I hold out hope for the MCS to improve, there's no way any of my school age relatives would attend Northside High! Twenty-something years ago when I was in MCS, most of the schools were pretty decent, but Northside was still at the bottom of the pile...if it has declined at the same rate as the rest of MCS, you truly have been in hell! Kudos to you for sticking it out, and know that anywhere else (with more research) will probably be better than where you were! (Wasn't the police mini-precinct right across the street a clue?)

[JMT]

If it's any consolation, Mitchell, my black students here at U.T. who went to Memphis public schools say they were also harrassed at school for being serious students. On the bright side, most of them tell me they want to return to Memphis and try to change the way things operate there, although I have my doubts that it'll help much.

There are actually some very good public schools in Memphis including a couple of magnet schools. It's too bad your parents didn't send you to one of those.

I think it's tragic that your horrible experiences (and they are horrible) have tainted your entire Memphis experience. I don't blame you for the way you feel. Just know that not everyone in Memphis behaves the way those clowns at Northside HS behave, and there are many, many wonderful things happening in Memphis.

I would also venture to guess that if you had gone to an inner-city public high school in Columbus you would've probably had similar experiences.

Hopefully, you'll have a much better experience when you get to your new school this fall. Do you feel comfortable telling us what school you'll be attending? I used to teach in a prestigious private school in Memphis and can tell you that most of them are outstanding and will offer you a completely different Memphis experience.

[Tunky]

Poor kiddo.

I'm really glad I didn't have to bring any kids down here.

[simcity]

That sounds like quite a traumatic and horrifying experience that you went through, and it was on a daily basis! I’m surprised you would continue going to a MCS so we must admire your resilience and endurance to sustain such an ordeal. I can’t help to wonder why you did not drop out for the semester to preserve your mental health and physical wellbeing. It’s clear that one cannot sufficiently learn in such an environment and I would be far too paranoid to risk falling asleep.

Well, I think the semester is over for you now and at least you survived. Hopefully it didn’t leave you permanently jaded and that the regression is only temporary as your experience is on par with being surrounded by some of the most dreaded & feared that society has to offer, the closest comparison is the incarcerated. At least you have quite the story to share with your future grandchildren, certainly surpassing war stories, for you endured a full semester at a MCS!!!

Hopefully other uninformed parents heed your warning so that other unsuspecting students can forgo the same fate. Perhaps this thread should be a sticky?

[RikBrooks]

Look, try to get out of the school, duck your head and get an education. There are good colleges here. Go to one. Then get out of the city. You don't have to go far. Mississippi is right over the border and the welfare in Mississippi is so bad that the freeloaders won't move there. Olive Branch is like Leave it To Beaver.

A couple of days after we first moved here my son said, "Mississippi will only give me $50 a month for food stamps for a family of 5!" He was aghast.

"Reckon it's time to get a job and feed your own family for a change?" I asked.

He's been working 18 months now. Started at $7 an hour and is up to $12.

This is a nice part of the country, just get outside the city proper.