I haven’t written here in several years because of other obligations. In that time, I’ve tried several angles to locate descendants of my mom’s good friend, Reta Wiley. Reta was the only black person my mom’s Emporium (Pennsylvania) High School class, maybe the whole school. They graduated in 1938. She and my mom stayed in touch for decades after they both left Emporium. I have several photos I can share with descendants who are interested.
My mom told the story of getting into an argument with hotel security during her 1938 class trip because the hotel in segregated Washington, DC would not allow Reta to stay in the same hotel as the rest of the class. An article in the Cameron County Press Independent made reference to the event. I’ve seen the article but no longer have it.
Here’s the 1938 senior class photo. Maybe someone will search for info on Reta Wiley, who married King Reed someday and find this:
