From Crossing Over, a Tribute to Don Raymond
By Glenn Singleton
“Glenn Singleton has captured the true meaning if struggle, perseverance and the rewards of achievement in this extraordinary account of the inspiring life of Don Raymond in Crossing Over: A Tribute to Don Raymond. This is a chronicle if integration and a young black male’s willingness to overcome obstacles and leave a legacy of positive influence on the landscape of athletics in the state if Louisiana. As the Executive Director for Black Coaches and Administrators (BCA), the mantra if our membership and association is one if equality, education, participation and the assurance of opportunities for youth through sport. The BCA realizes the impact of this story on any and all readers. Don Raymond’s journey will inspire all who read it to become the very best they can be!”
– FLOYD A. KEITH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR , BLACK COACHES AND ADMINISTRATORS
“The possibility of our success is due in part to the selfless acts of others… Crossing Over has introduced me to one of those giants on whose shoulders I stand. Don Raymond, thank you for your courage, compassion and endurance. ”
– ED REED, FREE SAFETY, BALTIMORE RAVENS ALUMNUS, DESTREHAN HIGH SCHOOL
”During the mid-1960s, I filmed the Hahnville High School football games far the coaches. I remember Don Raymond being a stand-out player for the Hahnville Tigers and a true gentleman at school. To be remembered by his classmates and friends after all these years shows the respect his classmates and teammates had for him. ”
– JUDGE EDWARD A. DUFRESNE, JR. (1938-2010), CHIEF JUDGE, FIFTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEAL, LOUISIANA
”Everybody has a special gift. Don Raymond was a gift from God. His 16 years were very profitable because he gave the world the best that he had. In the time that you have been allotted on this planet, fear God, do the best that you can toward your fellow man and make this world a better place to live. Don was our example of that, and his legacy continues.”
– MILTON CRENCHAW, ORIGINAL TUSKEGEE AIRMAN, FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN CIVILIAN LICENSED PILOT
“As a student at Hahnville High School I participated in the track meet named in honor if Don Raymond. At the time, I didn’t know or understand the significance of Don Raymond, or the path he paved for people like myself. Crossing Over, A Tribute To Don Raymond gave me an opportunity to understand the doors that were opened for me as a track and football athlete, as well as a student at Hahnville High School. I give thanks to star athlete, Don Raymond. He may be gone, but he is not forgotten. ”
– DARIUS REYNAUD, WIDE RECEIVER, TENNESSEE TITANS, ALUMNUS, HAHNVILLE HIGH SCHOOL
”I was color-blind when it came to racial issues. Don was a teammate, and that’s all that mattered. To this day, I still tell people that I played on a state championship football team. I played beside the young man who was a trailblazer – the first black athlete to be selected to the first team, all-state team in the state of Louisiana and as a junior no less. ”
– PASTOR MIKE MCCAIN, ALUMNUS, HAHNVILLE HIGH SCHOOL, TEAMMATE, 1968
“Glenn Singleton has captured the essence of what the life of Don Raymond exemplified. Courage in the community, valor on the athletic field, while bringing honor to the legacy of the life that he lived. Don had a positive impact on all our lives.”
– CLARENCE “SONNY” SAVOIE, ST. CHARLES PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
“Whether an athlete or not, Crossing Over is a must-read for the enrichment of our own humanity. There is a lesson for us all in the poignant story of Don Raymond.”
– LARON BYRD, WIDE RECEIVER, MIAMI HURRICANES, UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI, ALUMNUS, HAHNVILLE HIGH SCHOOL
”Early on in Don Raymond’s athletic days at HHS he was widely reputed to be a champion for promoting race relations. When he died in March 1969, the entire community grieved for the young athlete, the first African American to compete in sports at Hahnville High. It is fitting and thrilling to know his legacy is being captured in Glenn Singleton’s book.”
– MARY ANN VIAL LEMMON, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE, EASTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA
“The 1960s were times Of racial tension and frequent violence in schools across the nation. Locally, no one person had a greater effect toward accomplishing peaceful integration than the 16-year-old athlete, Don Raymond. During my early years as an attorney in St. Charles Parish in the 1960s, I had the privilege of representing Alfred and Vera Raymond on some minor matters. While I knew several of the Raymond children, I only knew Don by his athletic achievements. But the combined athletic achievements and the outstanding character of this young man had a phenomenal significance on easing racial tension in the community. Don’s untimely death made his legacy even more unforgettable. It is fitting that the story of this young man, but great, man be preserved in this book.”
– HARRY T. LEMMON, JUSTICE, SUPREME COURT OF LOUISIANA, RETIRED
“Crossing Over speaks to the infinite power Of young people to open the minds Of the most hardened in our society. Don Raymond’s life is a shining example of that which we should emulate to further our common goal of living peacefully together.”
– MYA LAGRANGE, JUNIOR, DESTREHAN HIGH SCHOOL
“Crossing Over is a touching story of triumph over adversity. I felt especially touched by the story of Don Raymond, because I too, being born in Germany, experienced discrimination in my childhood. The work Don Raymond did for his community was in spirit with great people such as Martin Luther King Jr. and his short life is a loss to us all.”
– PETER JEDERMAN 1950-2010, CEO, MEDALLION MINT