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PATRICIA TURNER
Patricia Turner entered Norview Jr. High School in 1959, with her brother James and three other children. She was 14 years old, entering her final semester as an 8th grader.
Ms. Turner has spoken of the fact that she couldn't make friends. No one spoke to her -- except to call her names, spit on her, throw gum in her hair. But even worse than that is the behavior of her teachers. In an interview, she tells of the teachers who wore rubber gloves to receive her papers, or they had her drop her papers in a basket -- but mostly they just ignored her. Even though she qualified to play field hockey and was good at it, she never got to play because no other teams would play Norview if Patricia was going to play.
She did eventually make some friends when they realized that she was gifted in math and as a field hockey player. In spite of all of her hardships, Ms. Turner graduated #5-6 out of the over 400 seniors at Norview High School.
After high school, Ms. Turner moved to Richmond, then Philadelphia, then back home to Norfolk. She taught at Blair Middle School in Norfolk from 1992 until her retirement in 2008. She is proud to attend the many events honoring the 17.
Patricia Turner leaving Norview Junior High School on her first day of school 2/2/1959. (Norfolk Ledger-Dispatch photo from a news clipping in the collection of Paul T. Schweitzer.) |
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