In 1968, at Webster Groves High School, we founded the Students for Black Awareness and Action to address the dispirited self-concepts that were then-pervasive among black students at our elite, suburban, St. Louis County, Missouri, high school. We also sought redress of long-standing grievances respecting the terms and conditions of our educational tenure from the high school administration. We had white and Hispanic members of both genders in our club, some of whom were quite instrumental in our ultimate successes inside and outside of our school. We engaged in many activities, such as: We presented black history lectures, raised money for Biafran (Nigerian) relief, ran candidates for elections to student government and for cheerleaders, sponsored parties, participated in a variety of racial-sensitivity symposiums, visited area high schools with a view toward SBAA-replication, published a newsletter, THE DARK SIDE, appeared on radio talk shows, hosted fundraisers, presented our list of demands which came due on the "Ides of March" 1969, participated (integrated) in the historically all-white, "Fourth of July Celebration" in 1968, as the first black entrant in its history--with our own float, and beauty queen contestant. We also left $3,000 in our bank account that we had raised from our many activities, to assure the perpetuation of our organization's existence. It still exists! Pictured above are the board of directors and officers, who were its youthful founders. Awareness of the black self within the context of a white (though purportedly egalitarian) American society were among our active enzymes, collectively and individually,
