"White Flight" or a Lifetime of Support to a Community

My parents had to make a decision in the mid-60's when my high school in Decatur integrated. Move to the suburbs like a lot of other white families, or keep their five children in the city that they had grown fond of just east of Atlanta.

As you can see, we stayed. I'm the little guy on the front left and my brother is #14 on the back row (his jersey hangs on the Wall of Honor for being one of the top baseball players in the state of Georgia).

Great memories of my high school days! While my oldest brother went to the same school when it was all white, by the time I graduated 12 years later, my brother David and I were the only two white guys on the basketball team. But why did my parents decide to stay?

I don't really know, but I'm glad they did! They're no longer with us after being together for 69 years, but the legend of Doc and Gwen Fowlkes remain. If you grew up in Decatur, whether you were black or white, you probably called my mother "Momma" and "Coach Doc" was one of the most beloved youth baseball coaches who ever lived.

Instead of moving away when I was a boy, my parents decided to stay and support this community for the rest of their lives. My parents welcomed everyone into our home. The color of your skin didn't matter to them.

I wish more parents today were like my parents. I wish more kids today could have the kind of experience I had on the 1976 DHS baseball team. Working hard together to represent your community and caring about each other like family.