In a new documentary film, Never Cried: Boston’s Busing Legacy (GBH), sisters Leola Hampton and Linda Stark reflect on a trauma they endured fifty years ago. As teenagers in 1974, they were bused to a predominantly White high school and suffered racial discrimination. The film is available for viewing on YouTube.
Dr. Gary Bailey, Professor of Practice and MSW Director of Simmons’ School of Social Work, makes appearances throughout the film. As he recounts, “[This period in Boston’s history was] like a fire . . . And you watch how a fire consumes itself and keeps consuming everything around it. That’s what this city looked like, and particularly South Boston. How do you then begin to think about erasing that kind of experience from your psyche? You don’t.”