Lou and Lolita Brown are brother and sister, born about eight years apart - just a big enough separation to give them very different life experiences.
Lolita was one of the last students to go through the Pinellas County School system prior to integration, while her younger brother Lou was one of the first to go through desegregation. Lolita graduated from Gibbs High in the early 60s, which, at the time was an all-black high school. In the 70s however, Lou was bused to Dixie Hollins.
On this edition of StoryCorps Tampa Bay, we hear how those differences played out, and how, in many ways, integration made for a much more difficult high school experience.
StoryCorps Tampa Bay airs every Monday on WUSF 89.7 at 8:35 a.m. during Morning Edition and at 5:44 p.m. during All Things Considered.
