Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search
109. Montgomery, Alabama, in the early 60s
Fri Oct 27, 2017, 11:21 PM
Oct 2017

A student (each of us had our turn) would read a passage from the Bible, and then we'd say the Lord's Prayer. Having just moved from an elementary school on a military base in Alaska, it all seemed surreal to me.

In my oldest sister's high school class, the one Jewish student would step out of the room during this exercise in government-enforced Christianity.

60's and 70's mercuryblues Oct 2017 #1
Probably nearly all of us (prior to exams)... hlthe2b Oct 2017 #2
Pledge of allegiance, yes. Took me a second to get your joke. Funny. Mediumsizedhand Oct 2017 #12
Western Canada sharp_stick Oct 2017 #3
Really? And not a Christian school. Interesting. Thanks. Mediumsizedhand Oct 2017 #13
Yup sharp_stick Oct 2017 #68
50's and 60's midwest. We sometimes had prayer at school events. Arkansas Granny Oct 2017 #4
60's/70's in Texas and the Midwest Mr. Ected Oct 2017 #5
NYC Metro area GP6971 Oct 2017 #6
I did, 60s and 70s mcar Oct 2017 #7
Lol. Mediumsizedhand Oct 2017 #14
Never but i think kids were allowed to form prayer groups/clubs JI7 Oct 2017 #8
Yes with an *. We had a benediction at graduation. Late 1970's in madinmaryland Oct 2017 #9
public schools from 1984-1996 Takket Oct 2017 #10
Same here 83-95 pledge every day, no prayer. dewsgirl Oct 2017 #126
Macon Georgia MaryMagdaline Oct 2017 #11
Ok. Thanks. I had heard some southern states did prayer. Mediumsizedhand Oct 2017 #16
Later maybe? MaryMagdaline Oct 2017 #26
That is the feeling I have been getting. Not that it is "back" to prayer. Mediumsizedhand Oct 2017 #28
Right, I've heard that for a long time: that prayer was "taken out of schools." Beartracks Oct 2017 #61
Well, not seeing a lot of 40's like my father, but some 50's and they didn't have it. Mediumsizedhand Oct 2017 #64
It's a lie in any case. Mariana Oct 2017 #96
Not my southern state. cwydro Oct 2017 #119
I am seeing that. Looks like a scattered few in the South and surprising scattered few Mediumsizedhand Oct 2017 #120
Oh, bless your heart. I lived there for 3 years in early 1980s. Called my office in Hoyt Oct 2017 #85
So sorry MaryMagdaline Oct 2017 #93
Heck I was mostly in Mississippi and we didn't. nolabear Oct 2017 #15
Ok. So some southern states did not. Good to hear. Mediumsizedhand Oct 2017 #17
I did, mountain west Drahthaardogs Oct 2017 #18
At football games but not class, daily? Mediumsizedhand Oct 2017 #19
No. Just before games. Drahthaardogs Oct 2017 #25
New England TheCowsCameHome Oct 2017 #20
Ahhh. What a story. Interesting. Ok, thanks. Mediumsizedhand Oct 2017 #21
Rural Ohio, 60s-70s, daily prayer over the PA in elementary school. yardwork Oct 2017 #22
Early 60's NYC Yupster Oct 2017 #23
Graduated in 1970 - we had prayer in school until the Supreme Court ruled it out csziggy Oct 2017 #24
Interesting. Thanks. Mediumsizedhand Oct 2017 #30
70's Austin, TX Texasgal Oct 2017 #27
Not in my public school sakabatou Oct 2017 #29
50s, 60s Philly dhol82 Oct 2017 #31
Delaware 70's - nope jberryhill Oct 2017 #32
Keeping Christ out of classrooms is another argument. Mediumsizedhand Oct 2017 #35
Thank you all, this is interesting. I appreciate the participation. Mediumsizedhand Oct 2017 #33
No. Upstate New York. smirkymonkey Oct 2017 #34
50's and 60's in a Florida public school, yes, with the Lord's Prayer proscribed, until the tableturner Oct 2017 #36
Eastern Shore of Maryland - yes, in the late 50's and 1960. beveeheart Oct 2017 #78
Western PA - MyOwnPeace Oct 2017 #37
Western PA here too and the same. appleannie1943 Oct 2017 #135
Phila. 'Burbs RobinA Oct 2017 #38
I was in Chicago burbs and didnt see it. Further, we knew very well.. kysrsoze Oct 2017 #39
I also remember being taught church/state separation shanny Oct 2017 #42
Late 50's-late 60's north shore LI 85% Jewish neighborhood: no prayers. fierywoman Oct 2017 #40
Colorado, 60s-70s--never. shanny Oct 2017 #41
Me, too. Like that would do anything. Mediumsizedhand Oct 2017 #47
I win the thread I guess :( Sgent Oct 2017 #43
Wow. Thanks. Mediumsizedhand Oct 2017 #49
I went to public summer schools in the 60s when they had real summer school. kimbutgar Oct 2017 #44
Atlanta, Georgia and no praying. Solly Mack Oct 2017 #45
We didn't have prayer but our fourth grade teacher passed out these 3 x 5 cards on which we told jalan48 Oct 2017 #46
Gasp, no way. Lol. Wow. Mediumsizedhand Oct 2017 #51
My parents didn't go to church but I went to three different ones until I stopped going in middle jalan48 Oct 2017 #53
I had the same thing dhol82 Oct 2017 #73
Easter was the only time I can remember enjoying church. I thought church was more social than jalan48 Oct 2017 #79
Russian Orthodox Easter is a trip! dhol82 Oct 2017 #84
It sounds like it was a good time to be in the church-a real sense of history too. jalan48 Oct 2017 #90
Good times dhol82 Oct 2017 #91
Yes, I agree. I still like spring though! jalan48 Oct 2017 #99
Iowa in 60' and 70's - no praying in city schools, can't speak for rural schools. SharonClark Oct 2017 #48
Not in Kansas. nancy1942 Oct 2017 #50
See, that is what my father in the earlier years, and my experience was. Separation. Mediumsizedhand Oct 2017 #52
My experience exactly. RoBear Oct 2017 #107
You are right. nancy1942 Oct 2017 #140
well, i don't remember RoBear Oct 2017 #147
I did maxrandb Oct 2017 #54
NJ late '50's and early '60's mnhtnbb Oct 2017 #55
In public school in Arkansas in the 60s and 70s. TomSlick Oct 2017 #56
I started kindergarten in 1970 in St. Louis, we did not do any prayers. logosoco Oct 2017 #57
No way. I have not heard of such a thing. Mediumsizedhand Oct 2017 #62
60s-70s for both myself and older sister benld74 Oct 2017 #58
I lived in Florida in the early 60s and we had teacher led prayer comradebillyboy Oct 2017 #59
Interesting that, hu? Lol. Florida, not Utah. Mediumsizedhand Oct 2017 #63
Public school in suburbs of NYC circa 1957. Golden Raisin Oct 2017 #60
Did it in public schools until '63. Kingofalldems Oct 2017 #65
What area? Mediumsizedhand Oct 2017 #67
50s and 60s and no WhiteTara Oct 2017 #66
I grew up in Iowa. I was in elementary school in the 70's and we had prayer all american girl Oct 2017 #69
My father was in Iowa, in the 40's and 50's, no prayer. So, more isolated. Mediumsizedhand Oct 2017 #72
No prayers in LA suburb in the 50's but we did celebrate Christmas & Easter. Shrike47 Oct 2017 #70
I finished high school in the late 60s in a small South Carolina town. raccoon Oct 2017 #71
Florida - 1956 ribrepin Oct 2017 #74
Cool to know, because Florida seems to be the state besides Mississippi and another Southern state. Mediumsizedhand Oct 2017 #76
I went to first grade in Jacksonville FL ribrepin Oct 2017 #81
Dunkard Twp. Greene Co. Pa. yortsed snacilbuper Oct 2017 #75
And a couple Northeast states, lol. Adding to a post I just made. Mediumsizedhand Oct 2017 #77
So Cal, Torrence Lebam in LA Oct 2017 #80
I lived in Bible Belt central Florida and Atlanta mid 60s into 70s MLAA Oct 2017 #82
i did, i went to a catholic school thru ninth grade....then i went to public school and it quit. spanone Oct 2017 #83
Never had prayers in school - upper Midwest, '50s and '60s. The Velveteen Ocelot Oct 2017 #86
We did pledge every morning. Always prayers before bigger events such as graduation. blueinredohio Oct 2017 #87
From 1960-1964, 1968-1976 did not. LiberalFighter Oct 2017 #88
Raised in northern Mn. No school prayers. old guy Oct 2017 #89
In public elementary school in Florida from about 1958 through early 60s, Nay Oct 2017 #92
Mobile, Alabama in 1978. Mariana Oct 2017 #94
Seldom. NE Ohio Doremus Oct 2017 #95
Georgia 50s-60s no prayers recovering_democrat Oct 2017 #97
It was done in the 1950's, and then at least until 1961, as we read from the Bible when I was 12. It WinkyDink Oct 2017 #98
Yes, but I went to Catholic schools Retrograde Oct 2017 #100
We had prayer in 50s elementary school sometimes vlyons Oct 2017 #101
Milwaukee, 1970s-1980s. We did, however, sing very religious songs at the Christmas program Still In Wisconsin Oct 2017 #102
Rural south central PA hvn_nbr_2 Oct 2017 #103
60s and 70s mantis49 Oct 2017 #104
Mid- to late 80s - town in GA about 70 miles north of FL Iris Oct 2017 #105
80s-90s Buckle of the Bible Belt blur256 Oct 2017 #106
Arizona. Same time. Horse with no Name Oct 2017 #108
Montgomery, Alabama, in the early 60s LastLiberal in PalmSprings Oct 2017 #109
I started school in the 1950s left-of-center2012 Oct 2017 #110
Connecticut (suburban NYC) in the 50s kskiska Oct 2017 #111
In 1953 my 3rd grade teacher frogmarch Oct 2017 #112
50's in Eastern PA. Greybnk48 Oct 2017 #113
East coast--daily prayer and/or bible readings in public elementary school. tblue37 Oct 2017 #114
Prayer: How to do nothing and still think you're helping. yortsed snacilbuper Oct 2017 #115
Wow, gotta remember that one. eppur_se_muova Oct 2017 #145
They had prayers in Texas schools long after the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional struggle4progress Oct 2017 #116
Oh yeah.. mountain grammy Oct 2017 #117
Grew up in the south. And nope. cwydro Oct 2017 #118
We did that in Indiana customerserviceguy Oct 2017 #121
I attended K through 3 in Connecticut in the early 60s musette_sf Oct 2017 #122
No prayer ever. Doreen Oct 2017 #123
I don't think we ever did in Spokane in the 50's and 60's. leftyladyfrommo Oct 2017 #124
This message was self-deleted by its author DLevine Oct 2017 #125
I did quaker bill Oct 2017 #127
oh hell no!!...and my grand dtrs were attending school in Tenn.... samnsara Oct 2017 #128
Only in first grade Freddie Oct 2017 #129
Stand for Moment of Silence Count? HockeyMom Oct 2017 #130
70s to mid / late 80's Public School JustAnotherGen Oct 2017 #131
In grade school and middle school in the fifties, we started the morning with a Bible quote, appleannie1943 Oct 2017 #132
Nashville, Tn scarletlib Oct 2017 #133
WV 1950s cyclonefence Oct 2017 #134
Up to Ohio in 1963 Mendocino Oct 2017 #136
A small town in NE OK 1965-1978 Runningdawg Oct 2017 #137
I was in public schools in Illinois CanonRay Oct 2017 #138
1976, Columbus Ohio teenagebambam Oct 2017 #139
I was in elementary school in Upstate NY in the '60s and I remember exactly when it stopped Rhiannon12866 Oct 2017 #141
First grade. 1962. Lawrence MA. maveric Oct 2017 #142
Well, being in Catholic schools from kindergarten (1959) to 1968............. raven mad Oct 2017 #143
Never in public school BainsBane Oct 2017 #144
None Meowmee Oct 2017 #146
Catholic school? Yes. Normal school? No. (n/t) Iggo Oct 2017 #148
Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Please tell me, who did p...»Reply #109