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I was in 5th grade, in Brooklyn, NY, at school, when the announcement was made over the PA and everyone was sent home. When I got to my block, an Irish Catholic neighborhood, all the mothers were out in the street crying. It was awful and it's something I'll never forget, like where I was on September 11, 2001.
I was in junior high school when the announcement came over the speakers. I think that the principal had sent a runner to the classes to warn the teachers before the announcement was broadcast. The teacher (a nice lady) was quite upset but not having a breakdown.
We were let out of class a while later. I remember that a bunch of kids made a circle holding hands and danced while singing "Kennedy's dead as a doornail". I thought that was odd but didn't really care one way or the other.
That evening my parents told us that this was going to bring out the worst in some people, so try to not say anything.
It was what framed my childhood. It wasn't a political thing. It was a tragedy that many social observers say was the day that the US lost its collective innocence. When most of us grieved over the murder of a young president who was also a husband and father.
Since I was in Kindergarten, it was a regular day. I was wearing a red plaid Polly Flinders dress with a smocked bodice and brown T-strap Mary Jane "school shoes". I was excited because Thanksgiving was coming and I was invited to a cousin's birthday party on Sunday.
Then, there was an announcement on the intercom. It was the principal. I think he told the teachers to turn on the TVs in our classrooms and to have the students take their seats. The teacher put on a news program. My teacher began to cry and said: "the president has been shot!"
Then the three kindergarten teachers all met in the hallway. Looking back on it, they were all in their early 20s. Not much more than kids themselves. Three women with f beehive and flip hairstyles hugged each other and cried.
We were confused. Some kids began to cry.
The principal made another announcement over the intercom. He said that your parents have been notified and they will all be picking you up from school.
I remember my mother's metallic green chevy Impala station wagon among all the other station wagons, gliding slowly towards the school while some men lowered the flag in the traffic circle to half staff.
I was four years old. I don't remember the day JFK was assassinated, but I do remember being told that Saturday by Dad that the reason there were no Saturday morning cartoons was because of coverage of the assassination and funeral.
I was in junior high school when the announcement came over the speakers. I think that the principal had sent a runner to the classes to warn the teachers before the announcement was broadcast. The teacher (a nice lady) was quite upset but not having a breakdown.
We were let out of class a while later. I remember that a bunch of kids made a circle holding hands and danced while singing "Kennedy's dead as a doornail". I thought that was odd but didn't really care one way or the other.
That evening my parents told us that this was going to bring out the worst in some people, so try to not say anything.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimrob1
I wonder what those children grew up to be like.
That's an interesting question, and thinking about it changed my point of view of then.
I don't remember any specific people who were dancing. I suspect that my school peer group was, like me, just standing and watching. This was in the days of tracking and the smart kids (me) did not socialize with the dumb kids. Also, this was the days of 100% segregation. I have to wonder if the ones celebrating were from the openly bigoted segment, but I don't know.
Also, it occurs to me that this school was about 25% Jewish (located in an orthodox community) and would hardly be rejoicing at JFK being murdered (or any political murders so soon after WWII)
Of those people that I knew then, how they turned out covered the gamut. Some became doctors, some lawyers, some housewives, some police, and some criminals. Most were ordinary, I suppose.
I do know that some of the openly racist KKK types that I knew completely changed their world view and personalities after integration was forced on us and we grew up. That change happened to pretty much everyone, but it's surprising how much some extreme people changed.
Anyway, that school had a few hundred students, and those who were dancing were only a couple dozen. But in my mind I remembered that school class by the light of those students actions and that colored my view of the entire class negatively.
In fifth grade in SoCal. I was out of the playground, and when we went into the classroom, a TV had been pulled into our classroom and we watched Cronkite reporting on it. I also remember watching the funeral procession on our TV at home.
I was in 6th grade and our teacher was called to the door by the principal. They were in the hallway for a couple of minutes, but we couldn't hear what they were discussing. It was social studies class and she didn't mention a thing to us. I didn't hear about it until the end of the school day, when kids from other classes were talking about it as we walked home.
It was big shock and seemed unreal.
I don't know how any person could keep such a tragedy to themselves. The principal must have told the teacher not to say anything.
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