I was born in 1971.  I remember when I started school it was at a local kindergarten.  I attended that school for 1 year and a few days then I was bused to another school. 

I recall my first bus ride, there where people with sign outside.  I could only read some of the words on these signs.  On the next day I recall that our mother took us to school.  At the time I didn't know what was going on.   

My first 2 years at this new school were bad.  We were treated really badly by the black teachers.  Thinking back on it, it was very sad how poorly the black teachers treated us.  I think they were looking for acceptance from their white peers.

  I was blessed to have a great loving family that stressed learning and education.  As I stated before my brother and I were curious children.  We took a lot of stuff a part and put it back together.  We never really got in trouble for being curious and our learning was encouraged, sometime enforced like the time we spent reading the dictionary - Yes  I had to read the dictionary.  We also had a encyclopedia set which I love but I digress.  

The 1 – 4th grade was uneventful.  They put all of us from "the bus" in the dumb classes.  That effort was offset by my mother who worked hard with us on reading and writing.  An A from class was often regarded as an F from mother.  At the time I hated the fact that I worked so much harder than the other kids.  Thinking back, the work was much to easier that it should have been.  I don't recall learning much from school the major of my learning came from home. 

During this time I met Tommy.  Tommy was unique in that he was white but lived in a black neighborhood.  He lived just down the street.  Our first encounter was a fight on the bus.  After that fight we became good friends, best friends.  He was my first non-black friend. 

In 5 grade the bus rides stopped for a year as we went to a local “betweener” school (school between 4 and 6 grades).  Tommy got to ride his bike to school I thought that was cool. In 6th grade the bus ride got a lot longer.  By this time I was comfortable around people of different color.  This also was the first time I experienced racism.  I say "I" because before I probably experienced it but had no idea what was going on. 

5 and 6 grades were important years.  2 things happen in 5 grade.  First I had a black teacher that was a great role model and was comfortable.  She taught the "special" class but told us we were not slow but very intelligent.  Secondly, I took a academic assessment test and scored the highest in the school.  This achievement got me into the "regular" class in junior school. 

Early on in 6th grade I had another black teacher.  After spending about two weeks in her class she thought I should be tested.   So she decided to test me.  After that test I was moved to the advanced class.  I think I was one of two black kids in these classes the other was Robert who did not live in the Hood.  He lived in the "good neighborhood." 

Soon more faces from the bus started appearing in my classes.  I noticed that most of them didn't feel very comfortable in these advance classes.  By high school many all of these faces were gone.  On the entire bus the only children that I came across in my classes were my brother and Tommy my white friend.   I wonder why many times.  

Over my years in school I spent a lot of time on the bus.  I saw a lot of things on the bus and heard a lot of things.  There were a lot of bright kids on that bus.  I watched the population of the bus decrease over the years and the attitude of riders change.  Many of the boys and girls from the bus did not graduate from high school.  A lot of them got involved with drug dealing, jail etc.  By the time I got to be a senior in high school I hated the bus.  Looking back I realized that the bus represented a lot of hopelessness.  It was so depressing seeing boys and girls fail year after year.  I was very glad when Tommy got a car and we got off the bus. 

So many people from my neighborhood never got off the bus.  From 1985 - 1990 I know of maybe 10 kids that went to college.  A lot of kids didn't finish high school.  Of the ones that finished a lot of them couldn't get into college.  It wasn't because of the money (they usually had sports scholarships) it was because of test scores.

I am not too sure how successful the busing program was.  I know that it was discontinued a few years after I graduated from high school.  I have cousins that live in the hood and they are not bused.  Now students from other neighborhoods are brought into schools in my old hood.  

Personally I know that busing made me a better person.  If it wasn't for busing I wouldn't have met David and if wouldn't have met David I wouldn't have met his sister Angela.  I ended up marrying Angela.   However there is a good chance that the busing program prevented many students from earning a high school diploma.

My History Line:

Mid  - late 1960s = Civil rights movement.

Early 1970s = de-segregation in Texas.

1976 = Devin is bused

1981 = scores high on test is moved from special education to regular classes

1982 = moved to advance

1986 = start high school meets David and Angela (Angela is senior).

1989 - Starts dating Angela

1993 - Marries Angela.

I met Destiny on 05/03/2009 at Treasure Island in Las Vegas.  I was sitting down eating a meal at Kahunavilla.  I was eating the pina colada chicken.  usually this dish is pretty good but this year it sucked big time.  I was trying to force my way through it when she asked if I wanted company.  Without looking up I gave my customary answer of "no".  Destiny told me she had a coupon and she wanted me to see, so I looked up at her. 

The first thing that came to my mind was that this girl was still a baby.  Destiny looked young and she looked sad.  She ask if she could sit down and I said sure.   She then showed me the coupon and ask what I thought was good.  I didn't have a menu available so I asked the waiter to bring us a menu.  They I asked Destiny how old she was.  She told me she was 18 but I was pretty sure she was at least two years younger. 

Destiny was pretty but you could tell she was in the business as her breast where all but hanging out.  I was deeply sadden but I didn't let Destiny know just yet.  Once she got the menu she started looking for food.   She was trying to work a deal with the waiter so that she could eat with the little money she said she had.  I told her the meal would be on me.  I think that made Destiny a little happy. 

After she ordered we began to talk and I quickly discovered that Destiny was in trouble.  I was pretty sure she didn't finish school and she had a very hard time with simple math.  Plus she wanted a drink, thinking only alcohol could rescue her from the work she thought she would have to do.  Her food arrived and she started eating.  Destiny was very hungry, I would say almost starving, she ate every last bit of food on the plate.  The plate was completely clean.  This sadden me even more. 

After she finished I asked her what she did.  She said she was in "entertainment."  I ask her if she liked her job, she did not reply.  I said I don't think you like your job at all, she looked at me close to tears and agreed.  I asked her what she would like to do with her life and she told me she thought she could be a rapper or basketball player.  I asked her to recite a verse, which she did and it wasn't to bad at all.  I asked her how would she go about becoming a rapper and she said that she would need to get a demo tape.  She told me that she would need about 200 - 300$ to get the tape.  She ask if I wanted to "sponser" her.  I told her that I thought she should sponser herself. 

After a few minutes of talking and several proposals I broke down and told her my true feelings.  I told her seeing her doing what she was doing sadden me.  I was very hurt that our beautiful black babies have to do this type of work to survive and that mostly older white men are taking advantage of this situation. 

By this time the check had arrived and it was time to leave.   I was still looking for something that tasted good so I asked her if she wanted ice cream.  The thought of ice cream brought a huge smile to her face.  She said she hadn't had ice cream for a very long time.  So we walked next door to the ice cream parlor.

Destiny instancely became a kid again.  She actually jumped up and down with excitement.  She couldn't decide on a flavor, she must have sample 10 favors.  Finally she decided on a Banana split in a cup (in a cup.  That was funny).  The lady at the cashier register was annoyed but I told her that we are blessed to be able to eat ice cream.  Not everybody gets that chance.

We ate our ice cream and chatted a little more.  About 1 hour had passed and I had a planned engagement with the craps table.  So we said our good-byes.  I told her that I would be back in Las Vegas in September and that I hope that I wouldn't see her in this line of business when I returned.   I told her that she needed to finish school, she agreed.   I reached into my pocket and gave her a black 100$ chip and restated my position.  She hugged me and asked me for my phone number and said she would be out of the business by the time I returned.  Then we parted ways.

After this encounter I talked to a few friends about my experience but after a while I forgot about it.  Actually we never really forget anything so let's just say I removed it from my short term memory and it got filed away somewhere deep in long term memory. 

A few days ago I got a phone call from a strange number.  The caller said "is this Devin".  I said "yes."  I said "who is this?" She said "Destiny."  I said "Destiny?....who"  Caller hung - up.  Seconds later I remember and called her back but no answer. 

My point is simple.  Destiny....If you read this.  You are important.  I do remember you.  I hope things are going better.  I hope you're able to keep your promise.

Be Blessed.