On July 15-17, 2016 The Foster/King Lab 1966 Kindergarten Reunion Project will gather in Evanston at the Weissbourd Holmes Family Focus Center (formerly Foster/King Lab School) to mark a major milestone in the desegregation of Evanston Schools. In September of 1966, 242 black and white kindergartners participated in an experimental desegregation effort at Foster School, in the heart of the 5th Ward in Evanston.
The Foster School/King Lab 1966 Kindergarten Reunion project commemorates the teachers, families, administrators, leaders, students, and community that tried to shift Evanston from a segregated society towards an integrated one. The original kindergartners and their parents, teachers, administrators and community members are gathering to talk about what this experience meant for them and for community, and what implications it has for the state of race relations and schools in the U.S. today.
Saturday’s events are free and open to the public include panel discussions of those who participated in the Foster School desegregation efforts and includes two moderated panel discussions and the viewing of the 1967 documentary film “The Desegregation of Foster School,” by Larry Brooks. Participants will also have the opportunity to be interviewed for inclusion of the future re-release of Brooks film.
For the full schedule of events, additional information, and to register, visit the 1966 Foster Kindergarten Reunion Project Website http://www.classcreator.com/Evanston-Illinois-FosterKing-Lab-1966/class_index.cfm