We had cross town integration 4th, 5th, and 6th grade

Early 80's Texas... I'd walk 5 minutes from my house to an elementary school. We'd then all get on a bus for the 30 minute bus ride to the literal other side of the tracks.

The bus ride sucked, and we had to get up extra early to catch the bus. I learned many of the same lessons as Bruno.

Even at a young age I could see the value of integration. While I hated when I'd see my mom in school, my parents and my buddies' parents simple had more resources to invest in their kids' school. Any time a volunteer was needed, it was our moms we saw up at school. If something bad was happening or there were insufficient resources, you can bet your ass that my mom was up there meeting with the school.