River Oaks Elementary's first black student reflects on facing racism in Houston

Bourgeois says she and her family have been dealing with racism for far too long. She was the first African American student at River Oaks Elementary. As a child, Bourgeois says she never saw herself any different, even though the world around her did.

"There was a newspaper clipping that said, 'Even River Oaks got one,'" Bourgeois said. "Most of the children were wonderful but the adults were racists, some of them."

Even in her neighborhood, Bourgeois told ABC13 she and her cousins were constantly harassed.

"There was a police officer who used to regularly ride through our neighborhood, and his dog, his German Shepherd dog, was called the 'N-word,'" she said. "This was in the '60s. We're still fighting the same fight."

But she says this time, it's different.

"Taking a knee wasn't good enough. MLK's peaceful protest, that was not good enough. So now, people of all colors are standing up and saying, 'This is not right,'" Bourgeois said.

While she is feeling a mix of emotions, she said she's sad about all the lives lost, but she's now feeling hopeful about the future.