Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 7 February 2008 — Page 15

The Muncie Times • February 7, 2008 • Page 15

Julia Carson: A Woman of Excellence

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Julia Carson is truly a woman of excellence. Through all of her struggles she has managed to come out on top. I have the privilege of telling you about

her.

Julia May Carson was bom on July 8, 1938, in Louisville, Kentucky, to an unmarried teen, Ms. Velma Porter. When Julia was a year old, Ms. Velma Porter decided to move to Indianapolis where her mother made a living as a housekeeper. Julia graduated from Crispus Attucks High School in 1955, followed by three years of college. She later married. The marriage did not work out so she raised her two children as a single

working mother.

When Julia was 27, she was given her first political job by Andrew Jacobs Jr., where she worked as a legislative assistant for 8 years. In 1972, she ran for the Indiana House of Representatives and was predictably successful. In 1984, she won the Indianapolis Star’s Woman of the Year award from a local newspaper. After

Ashley Fruitt

7th Grade

Wilson Middle School

Mrs. Rebecca Troke, Teacher 1st Place - Middle School Division

two terms, she was elected to the Indiana State Senate. She served until 1990. When she was a member of the legislature, she worked as a manager of the Public Affairs Department of Cummins Engine Company. Also in 1990, she was elected Center Township Tmstee. In 1992, she won the Indianapolis Star’s Woman of the Year award once again. In 2002, redistricting made the area slightly more of a republican nature. The same year she faced and defeated Brose McVey. One of her most notable achievements is when she co-sponsored Senator Richard Lugar to remove the bureaucratic bottlenecks on child healthcare. Some of her votes in favor of normal trade relations and support of antiterrorism bill caused some dissatisfaction in her district. Julia Carson also has a reputation of being somewhat unpredictable. I think the reason that Julia Carson is such a strong leader is because of the fact that she has not only faced but has also overcome and dealt with what life has put in front of her. Julia Carson’s ill health has limited her activities in Congress. In 1997, she had major heart surgery. In 2001, Julia Carson missed almost 200 house votes due to illness. On September 29, 2007, Julia Carson was in the hospital under the name of Anne Marie Jiminez recovering from an infection in her leg due to a vein being removed during her double bypass surgery in 1997. While treating her leg infection, the doctors discovered that she had terminal lung cancer. Two days later, she told her Chief of Staff that she would return to Washington to finish out her term in Congress but she would not run for re-election. Julia Carson is an inspiration to so many people including myself. Even though she has faced many bumps in the road and still continues to battle cancer, she managed to raise two children. She has managed to accomplish her dreams. Her huge contributions to this country and mankind will always be an asset to our future children.

Indiana Civil Rights Leaders: Charles Burks

Elizabeth Anderson

6th Grade

Wilson Middle School

How much do you know about civil rights leaders from Indian? There have been many civil rights leaders but not many were bom in Indiana. Here is one you probably never heard about. His name is Charles Burks. He is now 85 years old. He was a U.S. Marshal. He escorted a young black girl named Ruby Bridges to school. She was six years old. Back then, everything was separate. Some people did not want white and colored people together, so there were two different types of schools.

Mrs. Pam Dragoo, Teacher ° ne was for white children and the other 2nd Place - Middle School was f° r hlack children. People wanted it to Division stay that way, but Ruby Bridges, a young

black girl, was going to go to a white

school instead of a colored school. Most people were not too happy about that. They still think that they are all equal but separate. Burks said that there were two schools being integrated which meant that children from one school would start going t the other, mixing the students together. “No one mentions the other school. It was integrated with three black girls,” said

Burks.

In 1960, Charles Burks was a deputy marshal working in Hammond, Indiana. He became a member of the Special Operations Group trained to deal with the integration of schools. “They called me one afternoon while I was in court up in Hammond with two prisoners,” Burks recalls. “Washington called me and told me to be in New Orleans the next day. There were about 23 of us there.” Charles Burks, along with three other marshals, escorted the young Ruby bridges to school.

Norman Rockwell painted a picture of a young six-year old black girl/Ruby Bridges being escorted into her school by U.S. Marshals. Charles Burks is one of the U.S. marshals in the painting. “The first day the U.S. Marshals drove to Ruby’s house and drove her to school. A local deputy from New Orleans drove the car because he knew Orleans better than we did,” Burks remembers. When they arrived at the school, there was a large group of demonstrators gathered, yelling and throwing tomatoes and eggs. Burks said that he figured that there would be some violence when Bridges entered the school on the first day and that is why the Special Operations Group was dispatched. Burks recalls, “It must have scared her to death. She didn’t act like it though. She never showed any signs of being afraid. She was a brave little girl. Either that, or she did not realize what was going on but I knew what was going on.” “We knew exactly what to do,” recalls Burks. “We walked in like nothing was happening, that kind of threw off the crowd. So we just ignored them.” Burks added that there was concern that someone would shoot one of the U.S. Marshals. He remembers that some of the teachers were hateful and did not want to teach Bridges. But a teacher from Boston named Barbra Henry taught her. Burks said that they were the only ones in the classroom. The other parents didn’t want their kids to be in the same school as Bridges. Eventually the students returned to the school. None of the students talked or went near Bridges, but eventually they all got along with her. Just in my opinion, I think if Charles Burks didn’t take a stand, our schools would still be separated.