In the book entitled Bluefield High School from Segregation to Integration (Erps, 2014), author George D. Erps describes the segregated black Park Central High School as the “centerpiece of black society” for the African American community in Bluefield City, Virginia, and a significant part of their lives revolved around the high school. Many black communities across the nation shared the same feelings towards their black high schools as did the African American citizens in Bluefield City. The black high school was more than a building structure to students, parents and teachers, but the schools represented a beacon of hope for the oppressed in the ongoing struggle for freedom and equality. It should come as little surprise that the closure of many black high schools during the wave of school desegregation that sweep through the South in the late 1960’s left trail of emptiness in its wake.
Created during a period of legalized segregation, black high schools were a repository of black culture that stretched across decades in America. A few of the black high schools that operated during this period included Walker-Gamble High School (New Zion, SC), Lincoln High School (Sumter, SC), Battery Park High School (Kingstree, SC), George Washington Carver High School (Columbus, Georgia), Booker T. Washington High School (Atlanta, GA), C.A. Johnson High School (Columbia, SC) and hundreds more across the nation, particularly in the South. These schools shared an ideological bond that focused on the education and development of African American youth to survive in a world marked by the color line. Teachers and administrators were frequently held in high regard among members of the black community. It was not uncommon for teachers and parents to cross paths as church members which strengthen the bond between school and community. Black high schools also shared a close connection with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) as many of the graduates from these higher education institutions went on to become teachers and administrators at the high school level.
Because segregation limited African American access to public (and private) facilities, black high schools were one of few places where African Americans could feel a sense of safety and belonging in a dignified manner. In addition to varsity sporting events, other entertainment activities that drew black families to the school included musical and theatrical performances. The schools provided community education programs such as adult education classes and outreach to local black farmers. The schools engendered a sense of pride among its constituents solidified in a deep abiding trust.
Members of the black community were likely aware that African American schools would most likely bear a disproportionate share of the burden for school desegregation; an assumption that ultimately proved to be true. But, as we reflect on the crucial role of black high schools in African American history, it causes one to ponder if anyone knew just how great a burden that would be. It is this recognition of the centrality of black high schools in African American history that is based in the celebration of these institutions. In commemorating the legacy of black high schools is an acknowledgement of the prominent role these schools played in the life of the African American communities they served. A community pearl to be celebrated for generations to come.