Potts, Portia Harden Merritt, Carole
Description
In this interview, Portia Harden Potts describes how she became involved in school desegregation in Atlanta, Georgia. Potts discusses her experiences as one of the first African American students in Atlanta, Georgia, to integrate the public school system. She describes the first day being escorted to school by a school detective and her treatment by the school administration and student body. She also conveys her opinions on the current situation of segregation in Atlanta.Portia Harden Potts was born in Atlanta, Georgia at Grady Memorial Hospital. Her mother and father were born in Atlanta; her grandfather was a barber at Herndon Barber Shop and her grandmother worked as a waitress in the Magnolia Room at Rich's Department Store in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. She began high school at Turner High School and then transferred to Bass High School during the integration of the school system. She graduated from Spelman College with a degree in English and Secondary Education.
Video
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