Trailblazer
My maiden name is Diane Tucker and in 1963, in the spring of eighth grade, I was at Our Lady of Fatima Elementary School. I was so excited that I was rated as the number one student in the eighth grade with the highest grade average. I was a straight A student. I was a member of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church. With all the racial unrest in Birmingham at the time, my church, my community and my family grounded me and made me feel safe. Then Sixteenth Street Baptist Church was bombed and four young Black girls were killed, one of whom I knew. I felt like the world was ending. For the first time in my life, I was scared. I knew racism existed, but my parents had protected me as much as they could. The bomb destroyed my feeling of security. My little world was turned upside down. My friend was dead and the idea that someone she didn’t know, someone she hadn’t wronged would kill her just because of her race was sad and terrifying. As I lay in bed that night, the words of the song “He” kept playing in my mind as I fell asleep. My faith in the teachings of my faith and the love and support of my mother and father’s arms helped me to survive this tragedy. I still remember that time as if it were yesterday. In spite of that terrible time, I still believe in the fundamental goodness of people. I could hold hate in my heart but that’s a wasteful and useless emotion. I prefer to look forward and be happy. After all, the best revenge is living well, which I do!
Dian Murphy wrote this original story in November 2024, submitting it for publication with Kids in Birmingham 1963.