William Hamlin:
I was really hurt to see all of the daily riots that were happening in the school. Now that was really hurtful from two standpoints because I thought that the opportunity was there for us to really embrace one another. But, I was so hurt that people were not willing to step up to the plate even though the city officials, board of education said, "This is the Supreme Court order of the day." But that activity sort of showed that there was a silent rejection of what was going on. And that was being played out in the minds and eyes of the children who were in school at that day. That, "Hey, regardless as to what the Supreme Court say, we don't want to be here and we're going to show that things are not going to work." That was really hurtful to me.

- William Hamlin, West Charlotte High School, Class of 1963

Interview with Pamela Grundy, May 29, 1998. Southern Oral History Project, UNC. Full text of interview.