When I was in elementary school, I had a teacher named Mrs. Ruff. I had her for both fourth and fifth grades. Desegregation had just happened (I mean de facto; de jure had happened decades earlier) and there were comparatively few black teachers in the formerly (practically) all-white schools.
Mrs. Ruff's husband owned the Blue Ribbon Cab Company, the largest black taxicab outfit in the area. Unfortunately, he died while I was in fourth grade. So for two years at least, Mrs. Ruff was teaching elementary school and at the same time running a large and successful taxicab business.
I don't remember much about her as a teacher; there wasn't colossal amounts of teaching going on in elementary school in those days anyway. Also, I desperately needed glasses but held out until I absolutely could not any longer, which was latish in fifth grade. So it was all literally a blur. But what I remember about her was that she was a great person. Sadly, I don't think she lived all that long after I left her classes.
Today I saw a Blue Ribbon cab with a white driver. It's not necessarily a sign of changing times, or revolution or even evolution. But I felt good about it. I like to think Mrs. Ruff would have, too.
Had forgotten that Blue Ribbon was a black owned business. I taught fourth grade for 15 years so I can say that is probably what killed her. Bless her heart- running a cab company too. Thanks for sharing, John. I hope somebody I taught remembered me as a great teacher.
ReplyDeleteOh I'm sure they all do. Except for the ones needing but resisting glasses; they remember you as a blurry great teacher.
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