Gail Tooten reflects on Black History Month

Bea Coker reporter2.riverbendnews@gmail.com As Tooten fondly reminisces about her years of service, she attributes much of the joy derived from her job to witnessing the children in her care gaining access to resources that she, and others like her, may not have always had. Reflecting on the history of Douglass School, which offered high school to a predominantly Black student body in 1939, Tooten underscores the significance of diverse representation for students in the community. Having witnessed firsthand the transformative impact of representation on studens'testeem and confidence, Tooten emphasizes the importance of offering deliberate positive affirmations to students during their