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Friendship spans the racial divide
by Elizabeth Michalka, Wake Weekly Staff Writer
Susan Thorne and Gwen Smith-Davis have the friendship of a lifetime.
Although they're from different backgrounds and are different races, the two found much in common, and much to overcome, while growing up in Wake Forest. Thorne, who is white, moved to Wake Forest in 1971, the year after the town desegregated its schools. Thorne, who was in the eighth grade, and her younger sister attended Wake Forest-Rolesville Middle School, which was then located at the former W.E.B. DuBois School, which is now the DuBois Center. But the Thornes didn't stay at the school long because Thorne's sister was picked on and beaten up. They went to a private school next, but the Thornes didn't like it either because of students' prevalent racial attitudes. Thorne explained that any white students who didn't want to attend the public schools after they desegregated enrolled in private schools so they wouldn't have to mingle with blacks. The Thornes re-enrolled in Wake Forest-Rolesville Middle because it was less segregated than the private school. There, Thorne met Davis and they quickly became friends. Davis said Thorne was very shy and quiet, but she felt drawn to Thorne and tried to make her feel welcome. They soon began studying together and having sleepovers at each other's houses. They later worked together at Hollowell's Food Store, spending many evenings at the cash registers, talking between customers. "We did a lot together," Davis said. They hung out at Shorty's and Holding Drugs. They enjoyed pizza at a downtown parlor. When Thorne could drive, they went to movies in Raleigh and even took a trip to the beach when they graduated. They even visited each other's churches. "In your church, I was glad I was with my cousin," Davis said. "Everybody was staring." Thorne wasn't surprised, although she said she too felt like she was being watched when she visited Davis' church. Thorne said it was a good experience for her, though, because for once she felt like the minority in the crowd. Both women experienced more blatant forms of criticism and racism -- almost always from adults. "My sense was that the kids were all getting along really well," Thorne said. "We became friends with everybody in our classes," Davis echoed. Thorne and Davis said it was the police, parents and even teachers who tried to keep them apart, even after integration. Thorne remembers that several of her white friends couldn't come to her house because their parents had heard she and her family had some black friends. Thorne's parents even received phone calls from other adults telling them that they should control their daughters and not let them associate with blacks. "They were afraid," Thorne said of her parents. "You didn't want to have a flat tire in the wrong place." Davis said her parents were also nervous when her white friends visited, but never tried to stop her from making friends with those from other races. Davis' mother, who enjoyed cooking, liked having people over for dinner, regardless of their race. Thorne remembers having many home-cooked meals there. By the time Thorne and Davis got to Wake Forest-Rolesville High School, which began with the 10th grade, all the schools' dances and many other social activities had been canceled. "When we integrated we didn't have a class dance because they were afraid of a commingling of the races," Davis said. Athletic events became increasingly popular because they were the only extracurricular activity that everyone could enjoy. Women's basketball, which Davis played at WF-R, was also popular. Davis remembers that they had to make a conscious effort to keep white players on the floor, though, and not just black players. They still had homecoming, but two pairs of queens and kings had to be named -- one black couple and one white couple, to ensure equal treatment. One year both Thorne and Davis were named as homecoming queens. "You had to have two of everything," Davis said. They remember the games fondly, with equal numbers of black and white cheerleaders. They said games were friendly and the races commingled. "I don't remember racial fights at games," Thorne said. Although, she does remember a disturbing scene from one game. She watched as a white girl was pulled out of a car and beaten by her father simply because she'd been in the car with some black students. Luckily, Thorne and Davis said both their families were tolerant and embraced cultural differences -- that's part of the reason Thorne and Davis always got along so well. They accepted each other for the way they were. Sometimes their other friends weren't so understanding. Davis said she had black friends tell her that she was "acting white." "Sometimes you were made to feel like you were not a part of the community," Davis said. "You got teased a lot and that was hard in high school ... because everyone wants to be accepted." Davis said she doesn't remember being teased by white students, though, except if a white boy was thought to have talked to her for "too long." Then she'd hear snide remarks about whether they were a couple. Davis said she would never ride in a car with a white boy because it could bring trouble. "You would be stopped (by police) if you were in a car with a white person," Davis explained. One night after a game, Thorne was stopped by a police officer in Raleigh. Davis was in the car along with her cousin. They were driving to Darryl's restaurant on Hillsborough Street. Davis remembers that the officer asked Thorne whether her parents knew that she was with blacks. Thorne promptly answered that, yes, in fact, they did know. Davis said she was scared because Thorne was defending them and calling them her friends. Eventually the officer let the group go because he recognized Davis' cousin as a well-known basketball player. The experience made Thorne and Davis and their friendship stronger. They also became less tolerant of racism. Thorne became so fascinated by the relationships between races and the reasons for racism that she studied it later in school and became a social historian. She's currently an associate professor of history at Duke University. Later in life, when Davis was the only black lobbyist in her Virginia municipality, she didn't become discouraged when she was ignored and her ideas were dismissed. Both said they still see racism, but that it's improved greatly since the '70s. After all, they're no longer afraid to ride in the same car together. Although they no longer live in Wake Forest, the friends have tried to stay in touch. They reconnected a few years ago after 15 years apart, but it was like no time at all had passed between them. They're as close as they used to be when they gossiped during work at Hollowell's and traded clothes at sleepovers.
Last Updated On: February 23, 2006
Copyright 2006 The Wake Weekly