Jane Washington

JANE WASHINGTON

Jane Washington, a current Greenburgh resident, born in Manhattan and raised in New York City during the 1940s-50s, shares her experience and education growing up.

Jane’s parents had expressed annoyance with the teaching at schools in Manhattan. Black students were not taken on trips and couldn't write in workbooks. Jane’s mom was a stay-at-home mom who frequently came to the school to voice complaints. At age 7, she moved to District 11 in the Northeast Bronx for better education in schools. In contrast, it was much less diverse than her previous school; Jane was the only African American in her class. Yet, she still made tons of the friends that remain with her today.

When she graduated from grade school and went to 9th grade, she found herself in regular classes, contrasting her friends who went automatically into the honors program. Her mother went to find out why and was told the others had more “natural abilities” despite Jane's superb performance in grade school. However, she was eventually moved to the honors program because she excelled. During her senior year, her guidance counselor told her that she had not been college material, along with another black student in the class. From there, she would go to Hunter College.

Jane has faced many prejudices throughout her childhood and adulthood, yet she comes away from it all, emphasizing, “Get to know people who are different than you. Everyone white is not evil. Everyone white doesn’t hate black people. Don't be afraid to get to know other people… get to know people as people.” And not “let yourself be degraded.”