American Experience: Partners of the Heart
Early Years: Pearl High School
Linda Wynn:  video | transcript
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The following year, when the TSS Double A desegregated, the Pearl High class of '66 went all the way and won the state championship. We had a perfect season, 31-0. Several of the members of that particular class, Perry Wallace for example, went on to sign with Vanderbilt University, becoming the first African-American to play basketball in the SEC. Walt Murray, who was a classmate and also class president, also joined Perry at Vanderbilt, and ultimately became the first African-American to sit on the Board of Trust at Vanderbilt University. Several members of the class of '66 have managed to obtain a 'first' status. That class is very interesting, if you will, because it was right in the middle of the "black revolution." It was right at the time that black power was beginning to come in, we were right there at the '64 signing of the Civil Rights Act, the '65 Civil Rights Act. So we were right in the middle of that black revolution and there is a bond. Our class is together every five years for a class reunion. And we've done that. We just celebrated our thirtieth reunion in June of last year.