Paul Hoffmann:
CLASS OF 1974
Mitchell Elementary SchoolClass of 1974
Denver, CO
Paul's Story
Greetings to Alumni of Mitchell Elementary, class 1971-1974.
Hope you enjoy this read about a few of many, child hood memories and experiences of Mitchell Elementary *M.E. on MLK Blvd. Also busing that started the first year, 1974 in the newly built M.E. If any of my memories’ or experiences can be confirmed or elaborated on with yours, feel free to comment to help spark remembrance and intrigue readers to share.
A picture of my immediate family taken when we moved into our new home, helped convince me to write this read. The photo includes Grandma Ethel Brown, my sisters oldest to youngest Kim McGruder, Cathy McGruder, Michelle Brown, Margot Hoffmann. Best year guesstimate of picture is 1969-1970.
The picture helps to revisit our child hood and had me looking at photos of the original Michelle Elementary, M.E. on M.L.K. Blvd. just under a mile from home. My earliest memory is first grade, 1970 with Margot and I at M.E. while my other sibling where either at M.E. or Cole Jr. High (C.J.H.) across the sports fields. This memory was playing full court basketball in the gym and afterwards, McDonalds served burgers, fries and drinks to all in attendance. Yes! McDonalds was promoting itself in the school. I had no idea I was on a basketball team until the next year.
Second grade memorys are vague. One clear memory is being tested for hearing and eyesight in a small room in the basement. I often wondered if that testing was the precursor to ADHD studies. Another clear memory is as we walked to school and approached the front on dark rainy days, the school looked like a black painted haunted house sucking in kids as they walked up the stairs and into the front doors. This scared me!
Foremost memories of 3rd grade 1973. When a girl and I bumped hips attempting to sit in the last chair while playing, musical chairs. The teacher claimed the girl won after she played the crying game when she hit the floor. The teacher said it was unfair of me to use my size as a boy to claim the win and gave the win to the girl. I got hot and told the teacher after a short dispute, “I’m going to throw you out the window”. Let it be known, growing up in a house with 6 women, I had no problem fighting a girl. I was not raised by wolves, but by extremely dangerous women with reputations.
In 1973, corporal punishment was alive and well. The Vice Principal, “Witch” was scary because it was known that your first visit to her office was stern but without a spanking. The second visit. You got the huge wood paddle shaped like a hand with holes drilled in it to break the wind baseball batter swing whooping. More than one smack if, she figures it was not a homerun planted just right or because you took it, like I did. I do not remember being sent to her a first time for my warning, nor was I fully aware of the impending doom, as it was my first time feeling what pain the paddle induced.
Just after the paddle. Exited the front of the school at the end of the day crying. My sister Margot was waiting for me as she always did to walk home together. She asked, why are you crying? I explained only that I got the paddle. Margot got hot and said, wait till Mom hears this. At the time, I had no idea that parents had to sign off on corporal punishment and that Mom had not done so. If I recall, Mom went there like a Momma bear protecting her cubs and threatened everyone with death if they ever touched any of her children again. Margot confirms this happened.
1974. First day of school in the new M.E. building built in the back yard of the original but with a different address. Like that would make a difference for enrollment. In the play ground at the tetherball court, a crowd gathered as the title for the baddest M.F. of the boys for the new school, fight took place. A boy named Joe had the title prior and won the first fight presented to him. I was just watching when the crowd decided for me that it was my turn. Yes, I got suckered by pier group pressure, fortunately I whooped Joes ass. Joe said, I bet you can’t beat him, pointing to a person I never seen but Joe said Keith. Keith and I scrapped for a while to no end when the bell rang to come in, leaving us in a tie. Of course, we both agreed this was not over. At the end of the first d...Expand for more
ay in the new building while walking home alone this time without Margot, Keith was following me. I got to my porch with Mom to great me who asked, have you been fighting. I said yes and he was following me. A big surprise! Keith was not following me, he lived next door, one house before mine and I never knew it. Keith was on his porch with his mom greeting him. Comment continues see next pages.
Suffice to say the next day, Keith and I walked to school at the same time deciding we would rule the school together. Keith and I became inseparable best friends.
Middle year of class 1974, desegregation bussing happened at M.E. As it begun, a consistent selection of my piers via bus were taken to a school outside the city of Devers suburbs that prominently had white students. I do not have a good memory of this school. The next day, the same students and I were taken to a different school again with prominently white students but this school was different. It was similar to a musical academy. On return to M.E. that day, we were asked which of the 3 schools we would choose to go to. I did say the musical school but I knew this this was a farce. Why/How? Because when I got home, I talked with Mom and said I wanted to go to the musical school. Mom asked who gave you a choice. I explained and Mom said, “I was not aware choices are given to the children as that is my decision”. That’s how and when I was taught not to believe a salesmen pitch of BS.
Next bus the same selected student boarded dropped us of in front of Englewood Elementary. One of two kickers you have not seen coming to follow. As the bus parked in front of the school for us to disembark, a white faculty/staff and quite a few white students were on the front steps to greet us just prior to the starting bell, watched in awe. It looked to me as if the students never seen a black person. The kicker, I was the, to the best of my memory that day, the only white face in the school bus window and the only white kid bussed from a prominently black school. When I got home, I asked Mom, “A Black Woman” this question. Why did I get bused If I look white? Mom said they must have done it right going by the numbers and not the color of your skin. I was ok with that. I replied, so like you told me, that’s what they did. Mom asked, so what did I tell you you’re thinking I did. I said, the saying that doctor said. Mon asked, you mean Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I said yes, tell me again please. Mom replied he said, “People should not be judge by the color of their skin but by the content of their character”. Mom always spoke to me without disguising truths. I asked if that what I have been doing and she said, “perfectly”.
Ok, so I was bussed every day to Englewood Elementary and needless to say but will say it anyway, Keith and I rule the playground without force quickly. The kids were more impressed with our tetherball, monkey bars, rings, and anything else put in front of us as playground outside time. Also, with trading the various Hostess products, sandwiches’, puddings and having the best lunchboxes. All star Convers Sneakers we called Bobos from Franky’s Groceries we thought were ghetto but they thought it was the coolest sneaker they ever seen. We had the newest 10 cent comic books from Walgreens, kitty corner from Franky’s, that Englewood parents would not let their have.
I learned more about busing during the summer of 1974. Keith and I were playing basketball at the recreation center near home when the T.V. news came on saying G. Ford was now president. At home I asked Mom if busing would stop because of this. Mom said no because the liar Joe Biden was not going to get his way. This began my interest in soaking in as much knowledge as possible from Mom when it came to the world and how to live in it. Please note that my Mom, “Doris C. Hoffmann” while in Denver became the first, not only female but black woman, President of the Stenographer’s Union in Denver Co. Try and find that on Google, “Nothing”. First not only female but black woman, NRA pistol champion. Same thing, “Erased” but we have proof of both. I mention this to solidify that when our Mom schooled us children about anything it was a nonbiased, super intelligent, realistic truth.
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