Vessels of History: Reflecting on the Taylor Case

Four women entered the theater with drum and woven grass baskets in hand.

“Whose God made slave owners the Egyptians, and Hebrews their slaves? Not the Hebrew’s God,” asked Barbara Hyde Haber, invoking the power of music and spoken word to revive history.

The backdrop was the Linda Kelly Theater at  Thursday evening for a Reflections of Change program titled, “Change, Challenges and Children: We Are Vessels of History.”

The event, sponsored by the City School District of New Rochelle and the New Rochelle Council on the Arts, featured the Creative Force Ensemble. Artists Stephanie Alston-Nero, eDeRuth, Barbara Hyde Haber and Daphne Carter McKnight reflected on the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision 50 years ago in Taylor v. New Rochelle Board of Education, .

Haber continued: “Whose God emboldened white men to enslave people of Africa? Cast them through [the] door of no return to America and the Caribbean? Surely not the African Gods. There is no formula. Man is imperfect—perfectly capable of inhumanity.”

Artist eDeRuth said that the event honors the efforts of the many people who helped make the New Rochelle school system more accessible and equal.

“It honors the courage of the parents and the children. We all are individuals. We all make a difference. We all have a voice, even the quietest ones,” she said.

One notable audience member was Grantlin Hopton of Hempstead, N.Y. He was born and raised in New Rochelle and graduated from Lincoln School in 1961—the year the Taylor case was decided.  

Hopton said it's important for him to impart his experience so that students can understand how those events 50 years ago shaped their lives today.

“I wanted to come up and see what was going on. I’m interested in passing my history of New Rochelle, telling it how it was,” Hopton said.

He explained that it wasn’t the condition of the school district so much as it was the condition of the world at the time. He took advantage of what was offered at Lincoln School and felt that it led him to be successful.

“New Rochelle was just at the forefront of eliminating the all-black school," Hopton said. "I got a good academic education, but I was somewhat at a loss with interacting socially with the white students in junior high."

The event was followed by a reception with food and drink sponsored by ShopRite. The Reflection of Change committee’s next event will be on March 9 at the Museum of Art and Culture, which will feature photos of the Lincoln School and surrounding area. 

Editor's note: This story has been updated with minor editing changes.