Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1506754
r. Roscoe King, Jr. is 87 years old and determined to set the record for being the oldest crossing guard. But he doesn't want to be just any old crossing guard. He wants to do it better. Since he began helping kids cross the street to school at Hartley Elementary on Anthony Road, he's "never missed a day, never been late," he said. He adds another layer of safety by mentoring Hartley elementary schoolers and their families, setting an example of perseverance against discrimination, and modeling a healthy lifestyle of hard work and prosperity that lets a person walk miles upon miles every day for their fitness at almost 90 years old – and drive a sweet Cadillac. Mr. King was exemplary long before he donned his neon gloves and reflective vest. A U.S. Army veteran, he expressed that he was always a helper through years of serving the United States in Germany, Korea, and Vietnam. He said his comrades came to him for advice because he was from the big city of Jacksonville, Florida, and because he's always offered people a trustworthy ear. "I always had understanding. People could know that they could talk to me about just about anything, and I could understand them … [I was] trustworthy. And they could understand me," he recalled. Back in 1960s civilian life a er returning from Vietnam, he worked on the railroad in Jacksonville as a laborer and became the first Black machine operator for Seaboard Air Line Railroad, pushing past segregation practices. Then, he became a diecasting engineer elsewhere, pushing the boundaries of discriminatory hiring. Always he advocated for his fellow soldiers and laborers as they navigated similar roadblocks to success. He spent much of his life in Cincinnati, Ohio, before moving to Macon. He came here because though the rest of his family is no longer living, he didn't want to "wind up being buried in Ohio." He wanted to be back among his people. But seems a long way off for Mr. King. "See, I'm 87 years old, and I don't think you could outwalk me," he told Macon Magazine. Plus, he needs to keep guarding crossings until he's 97 to beat the world record. What makes him a hero? We think Mr. King says it all. "You see, that's the thing. See, if you take something, do good at it." Heroes among us Roscoe King, Jr., crossing guard at Hartley Elementary School BY MACON MAGAZINE STAFF | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATT ODOM What made you choose to do this job? Well, the thing of it is that you take the crossing guard job - It's to help the little kids, because it's elementary. … I don't want to do the senior school, because the senior school students, they should know better how to cross the streets and things, right? But now the elementary kids, they need some guidance, right? And they need to know how and when, how to take orders and find out. and then how to go up this sidewalk and things without causing any kind of problem, cut out the fight and everything. See, a lot of times these kids come down, they want to fight. See, when I first came here, every day they was fighting, going down the road, going home. So I stopped the fights. That's the thing that I'm concerned about: helping the community, not only helping the kids. This is not one of the best communities for kids to grow up in. Well, because this is mostly a government project. When you're living in your government project, that's what you get. See, people who have never lived in the government project and haven't been affiliated with them, they don't know what's going on. Will you say more about why you do this work? Well, that's what I do. I talk to a lot of people, and they take time out to talk. But see, the thing about it is you got to understand it. If you don't understand it, ain't no use in talking about it. Yeah, I could park over there. But the thing about it is I park this car here so that the kids and everything can understand that they can own a Cadillac, too. What makes a hero? The person has to be caring in his heart from the beginning. So you have to have been around people who have had hard times, so you can't make a hero when you've been on top all the time. You see, you got to look back how these people are struggling. That's what I look at now…So a lot of time, I tell them, you got to get up early now, so the kids can get in here to eat breakfast. I talk to parents... Because the only way out of this poverty is education. If you don't learn nothing, you ain't going to get nothing. What drives you? To be able to get up and meet these same kids. Like on Tuesday it is a dress up day. All the kids dress nice. And that's the inspiration of it. And, see, you got to tell them that they got to keep this up. You got things that, if you got any kind of knowledge on any type of education and everything, you can make things happen. …I'm going to set the record. Okay. That's driving me. Because the oldest [crossing guard] is 97. I got less than ten years to go. I keep myself, try to stay in shape. See, I'm 87 years old, and I don't think you could outwalk me. What makes you get out of bed? I get out to go walk. … I got to be up at Central City Park at 5 [in the morning] ...Then I walk the hour and a half. Then I come here and then do this crossing. Okay. Then when I leave there, I go back and walk Amerson Park. Then I go back to Central City Park and walk. Then I go to the Indian [Ocmulgee] Mounds and walk. That walking inspired me. I think that's what keeping me going. So evidently the man upstairs must have a purpose for me. If I had more time, I would: If I had more time, I would do the same thing a little bit better. I would do it better. If I had the time, with the experience I've got, if I were to go back and start doing some of this stuff that I did years ago, I'll do it better. M 118 maconmagazine.com | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2023