Soul of the Coast: Integrating Schools

- the mississippi gulf coast is - rich with diversity,- history, and culture.

- and it's thanks to those who- call the coast home.- in part 3 of our 4 part series- soul of the coast news 25's - victoria bailey introduces us t- a woman who's life was shaped - by her experience growing up- here in south - mississippi.- - carlis daniels-hinton is a coas- resident.

- "i was born in biloxi and raise there for the first eight years- of my life."

My father, was a cement finisher, so he- decided he would build a house- and he bought - - - - some land in handsboro.

He buil- a small house on victory street- and that's- where they raised us.

- she grew up during the 50's and- 60's when things for- people of color, living in the- south, were unequal and - hard.

- but daniels says thanks to her- community she was always- encouraged to reach her goals.- "i went to 33rd.

It was called 33rd junior high.

All the black- students went to that - - - - school at that time.

It was a - very good school.

- the teachers were people that w- knew in our community, they - attended the churches - - - - that we attended.

- they knew our parents so they - had a vested interest in us and- we were - - - - accountable to them," nation-wide the country was in- an upset, as african- americans were in the fight - against injustice and for - equality.

- the 1954 landmark decision brow- verses the- board of education ruled racial- segregation - in public schools - unconstitutional it was then- that things began to change - for daniels-hinton.

- "we only had one television in our house and a lot of things i- the news about the- civil rights movement; the- riots, dogs sic on protesters - and things like that.

So, the - community got together at the - k.p.

Hall in our community and- asked us, the - students, if we wanted to - - - - desegregate the school system" daniels says several students - volunteered but - she was among the few who - - - - actually made the transition.

- "my 9th through 10th grade i went to the gulfport east high- school.

- we didn't have a prom.- most of the clubs we weren't- invited to, basically isolated- in the classrooms and - not given the attention that- other students, white students,- enjoyed."

Daniels-hinton was a member of- the national honor society- and graduated with all a's and- high act scores but says she- still could get any - encouragement from her new- school.

- "i got no counseling about goin to school.

So i had an older- brother emmerson- and he had some books - and one of them was howard- university, i said let me look- at that and i said that's where- i want to go" she received several- scholarships, was accepted to - the howard university school of- nursing and graduated cum - lad, debt free.

- after graduation daniels-hinton- moved to- atlanta, was married and joined- the political activist- movement where she worked on- campaigns for prolific leaders- like; manard jackson, andrew- young, and cheryl franklin.

- in 1996 she found a lump in her- right breast.

- "i met my husband james hinton.

We were married and a year afte- that i found- out i had breast cancer.

I had- connection.

I was able to put - together my - team of all female doctors who- did - my care.

I wasn't really scared- at the time when i had it - because i guess being - a nurse and a surgical nurse yo- see a lot of things.

You see a - ot of disease and death.- i had a little bit- of faith in the fact that if yo- just get the treatments and sta- positive then it will - work out, and it did work out.

- haven't had any reoccurace sinc- 1996."

Now daniels-hinton is retired - living in gulfport- working with her family busines- at the almanett hotel - and bistro.

She says the youth- can't be faulted for not knowin- the struggle if the older - generations isn't passing it- - - - along.

" the kids are kind of removed from the historical - perspective of being black and- the - things we had to go through.- when we were younger we heard - stories all the - time about older people talking- about how it was when they were- - - - growing up.

Things they had to- go through.

You knew they had t- come through some - hardships.- now-a-days i'm not sure who's t- blame for it.

The problems is - the school system isn't - teaching history, us not being- included in the history.- - coming up-- - - - -