School desegregation pioneer speaks at African American Heritage luncheon Published Feb. 22, 2007 By Staff Sgt. Tonnette Thompson 82nd Training Wing, Public Affairs SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- A school bus full of children broke down in the middle of its 26-mile journey back to the children's homes. Instead of immediately dispatching another bus to transport the children, it was decided the logical course of action was to leave some of the children on the side of the road, alone and late into the evening, until other matters - like giving the driver a ride home so he could have his dinner - were attended to first. However, not all of the school children on the bus received that treatment ... only the black ones. That night, the father of one of those stranded students, who didn't get home until 11 p.m., decided his daughter shouldn't have to attend school in another county simply because of her race. Betty Kilby Fisher, author of "Wit, Will and Walls," conveyed this and other stories to the packed room during the African American Heritage luncheon at the Sheppard Club Feb. 22. Mrs. Fisher's father was part of the civil actions that ultimately integrated the Virginia school system in the late 1950's, and Mrs. Fisher and her brothers were among the first black students to attend the previously all-white Warren County High School in 1959. During her tenure at the high school, Mrs. Fisher suffered death threats from screaming protesters, witnessed schools opting to close completely rather than accept black students, and even survived gunshots fired into her family's home. Through it all, she persevered. Today she has a deep appreciation for freedom hard-earned. "My freedom is not free, your freedom is not free," Mrs. Fisher said. "Hail the military men and women of the Armed Forces who protect us today." The luncheon was a reminder of what some would consider a dark portion of the United States' past - a past that didn't necessarily include minority races. But it also served as a reminder that the Air Force was a leader in racial integration through the tumultuous 1960s when those who believed in equality struggled to deliver the promise of the "blessings of liberty" as outlined in the Constitution. Other highlights of the luncheon included a demonstration of praise dancing performed to a live rendition of Yolanda Adams's "Still I Rise," and a film compilation of achievements by black people throughout history that played while the attendees enjoyed fried catfish and baked chicken. Mrs. Fisher will continue to offer autographed copies of her book at the Base Exchange this week.