ABSTRACT
I grew up in an African American family and neighborhood within Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and was socialized by parents and extended kin. Specifically, an early divorce meant that childrearing was primarily provided by my mother, two older sisters, actively involved kin of both parents, as well as a host of engaged and “ever-observing and monitoring” neighbors (!). We lived in a working-class community when the Brown Decision as national policy took effect. By the point of its determination I was completing the last few primary school grades at a school located outside my home neighborhood. The policy change had no impact on my schooling experience; however, it was certainly a critical ingredient of adult discussions in my home and neighborhood. Accordingly, the experiences of these “personally unknown” African American students and families occupied “center stage” in our community and family and mattered a great deal.
