Enslavement to
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  An African American woman in circa 1930s attire sits at a desk typing a letter on an old mechanical typewriter.

 

 

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2006 Mail

Re: Old Downey Elementary School

From Gail Jackson Quarles, December 28, 2006 in reply to James R. Murphy's letter of 16 November 2006.

Jim,
Thank you so much for sending this picture. I didn't even know that it existed.  Wow...it certainly brought back a lot of memories. I am seated in the second row, second from the end. Mrs. Cannon was a wonderful teacher. In fact, as you already know, all of the teachers at Downey were excellent.

I only attended "Old" Downey through the fourth grade. The teachers I remember were all African American: Mrs. Leftwich, Mrs. Leonard, Ms. Alexander, Mrs. Cannon, and Mrs. Dennis. I also remember Mr. Aikens, our custodian. They all instilled a sense of pride in their students.

It seems odd to see myself as a third-grader now that I've retired as a teacher of 39 years in the Los Angeles School District.
Thank you again for allowing me to revisit such wonderful memories.

Sincerely,
Gail Jackson Quarles
Los Angeles, CA

Replies

Jim Hoffman writes: "Gail I recall all of them also and please do not forget Mrs. Hicks." (James Hoffman to Afrolumens Project, 8 January 2007)

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