Bonnie Lynn Mackinnon Remembers

I believe that it was Sacred Concert when the boys decided to forgo the buses to the Northfield campus and instead march there to protest Kent State and Jackson State. As my Mom was driving up for the concert Kenneth Witherspoon (aka Spoon, aka my husband) asked me if I could have her drive over and pick him up as he had knee problems and didn’t think he could complete the march.

When Mom and I arrived at Mount Hermon we found Spoon right off. However, by then Spoon had decided that he couldn’t let the guys down and that he would go ahead and march. And, since I was there, I should go ahead and march as well.

So there I was, as far as I know the only Northfield girl marching from the Mount Hermon campus. Mom drove by several times as we marched, slowed down and asked out her window if we didn’t want to get in the car now. We did complete the entire march.

I was never questioned about it. Never got into any trouble. The sad thing is that years later in the school newspaper (back when it looked more like a newspaper) there was a story about the march with a picture. We must have been right up front because there I was, big as life in the middle of the picture there with all the guys and no explanation as to why a girl was there. I had meant to save the picture but as things go I no longer have it.