Diary Entries

September 10, 1967

Today I walked to school with my friend Barbara from across the street. Sometimes she offers me a Pop tart when I go to her house but today she forgot. I was really hungry. I never have food at my house because my Dad forgets to send the Child Support and my mom doesn’t have money or time to go shopping. Mommy left for work at 6:00am. I made sure she got up but I’m sure she was late again. I’m scared she will lose her job and we will have to move again. But something wonderful happened today though. My school had breakfast in the lunch room. My teacher, Mrs. Web, walked me to the line and told me I could eat breakfast. It smelled so good. I had buttery scrambled eggs, two pieces of bacon, something called grits (it tasted a little like runny mashed potatoes), and orange juice. My tummy felt very full. It was funny sitting at the lunch tables and watching the other kids coming into school. When I was done, I skipped to my classroom line. After I sat in my spot on the carpet I asked Mrs. Web why we got to have breakfast today. She told me that last year President Johnson passed a bill called the Child Nutrition Act. Now everyone at our school could get a free breakfast if we needed to everyday. The President wants our country to be a Great Society where life is more perfect and more equal for everybody especially children. I am so happy that I won’t be hungry or embarrassed when Barbara’s mom asks me if I had breakfast. I can now say I am having breakfast at school. I did my spelling homework in my spelling book. This week I am learning the “at” words like hat and cat. I like reading my Dick and Jane book. Today Jane helped Baby with her shoes. I love the pretty pictures of Baby she looks so sweet and cute. Mommy will be home around 4:00 pm. I hope she brings us food from the deli. It’s my favorite except for the brussel sprouts. I hate them but I eat a few because she says they are good for me and I know they cost money. I think I will sleep on the couch tonight. I hate hanging off the edge of our double bed. My mom and my little brother Eric take up all the room. I know I will have great dreams tonight knowing that breakfast will be waiting for me when I get to school. Mrs. Web sent me home with a paper that tells us what they will be serving each day. Tomorrow the nice Lunch Lady …I mean Breakfast Lady will be serving us pancakes and sausage. That’s my favorite.

Avery

April 2, 1965

Dear Diary,

            This has been a good week so far. President Johnson has been passing all kind of new acts lately. Some of the acts he has passed are the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Act, Immigration Act of 1965, ESEA, Higher Education Act of 1965, Medicaid, and Medicare. These acts have desegregated many areas, helped finance low income schools, and given aid to the poor and the elderly. I am the most excited about the Medicare program. It will benefit my husband and me the most out of all the acts and programs. My husband and I started out being a healthy happy couple at the age of 19, but as time has gone on and we have grown older we have come to some serious financial and health problems. Our son recently has been drafted into the war and with this extra stress my husband is not doing so well. President Johnson created Medicare under Title XVII of the Social security Act. It is meant to provide health insurance to Americans 65 and older. It will cover my hospital care if I need it and outpatient medical services. With Medicare my husband and I will not have to worry about our past medical history or our current income. Before Medicare it was impossible to go see a doctor because we are both retired and do not have much money and my husband had suffered from heart problems for most of his life and with the additional stress his heart has been acting up. We are no longer going to have to worry about our health care. This should help us out a lot in the long run.

Paige

Nov, 1965

Dear Diary,

Today is an exciting day for me, well that’s what my mamma tell me. She says that we are finally gonna get the education we outa’ deserve. She keeps talking about the Elementary and secondary Education Act, and somethin about a Head Start? Head Start in what? School I guess. Anyways, my mamma says hows a president is finally helping us out. I’m getting put into an advanced placement math class, something like that, where I’s can finally not be bored in math. And where were even getting new classroom materials! I don’t have to share my pencil with gross Bobbie anymore. We’re getting new pencils, markers, crayolas, and textbooks! I finally get a new, fresh white paged textbook with no dog-eared, or ripped up pages. I can’t wait to go to school, and learn! Sure thankful for the Head Start and such. Well, I gotta go, don’t want to be late to school!

Leona

Brooke