Reflections (Georgia African American Historic Preservation Network), Vol. 13, no. 1 (Apr. 2016)

Volume XIII, No. 1 April 2016
Kayla Morris, African American Programs Assistant
Historic Preservation Division
Evans County High School: The Core of a Community
Evans County High School, also known as Evans County
Training School, which is situated off of Church Street in
Claxton, Ga., was established as an Equalization School
in the 1950s. Equalization schools are schools created after the
landmark decision of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. In
the 1950s Georgia Governor Herman E. Talmadge set aside funds
to build these schools througout the state to ensure that separate
but equal was followed as to prevent the integration of schools in
Georgia.
Evans County High School educated African American
students in this small Georgia town until the integration of schools
was complete in 1971. The school was used as Claxton Junior High
School and then Claxton Middle School, before the Alumni of Evans
County High School purchased the campus. The school now houses
community service organizations such as the Red Cross and a day
care center.
Jeanne Cyriaque,
former African American
Programs Coordinator for the
Georgia Historic Preservation
Division, recently visited Evans
County High School, where she
met with some of the school’s
alumni. The visit included a
discussion about what interested
members of a community can
do to preserve the history
of Equalization schools and
the process of placing a site
on the National Register of
Historic Places. Several ideas
for a new building use were
given, including the creation of
a museum and housing for other
organizations in the community.
Creating a partnership with the
local parks and recreation department, in order to help with the
maintenance of the school, was also discussed.
Evans County High School’s large campus is reminiscent
of most Equalization schools with its cafetorium (a room that
served the purpose of cafeteria and auditorium), large gymnasium,
restrooms that students accessed on the exterior of the building’s
wings, and the school’s association with the name Evans County
Technical School. It was common for black secondary schools to
be referred to as technical schools to distinguish the black schools
from the white schools in a community. The school currently houses
many photographs and other memorabilia from the Alumni of Evans
County High School. The enthusiasm that Alumni have shown
about revitalizing their school and learning as much as they can
to continue the legacy of the school, shows the importance Evans
County High School had on the black community in Evans County.
Many of the stories
and documents associated with
the school were recorded by
Gail Drake Dismuke, who
wrote the dissertation “The
Solid Rock: An Oral History
of the Events Preceding the
Disappearance of One Southern
Rural African American School
in Evans County, Georgia 1954-
1971.” Dismuke’s dissertation
makes reference to the school’s
newspaper The Longhorn Moo,
the athletic teams, and the
clubs that were active on the
campus. With the oral histories
of both alumni and teachers of
Evans County High School,
this dissertation tells the story
of an Equalization school that
educated the black community
continued on page 2
Evans County High Gymnasium
Photo Courtesy Kayla Morris
Georgia African American
Historic Preservation Network
2
Kayla Morris, continued from page 1
Evans County High School: The Core of a Community
Longhorn Memorabilia
Photo Courtesy of Kayla Morris
The “cafetorium” both mascots of the school before and after
desegregation are present on the back wall of the cafeteria. Before
desegregation, Evans County High School was known as the
Longhorns.
Photo Courtesy of Kayla Morris
in Evans County, Ga., for almost two decades before
integration.
Evans County High School, like other Equalization
schools, was created by the consolidation of all African
American schools in the county. Some students who lived
on the outskirts of town began their education at smaller
schools. Most alumni of the school have positive memories
of their times at ECHS, including the love they received from
their teachers. Many of the students went on to gain a college
education and to become educators and other professionals.
Evans County High School’s story is a positive one. It is a
school that was the core of the community, and still seems to be.
To learn more on Equilization schools visit:
www.georgiashpo.org/historic/african_american#schools
Exterior of Evans County High School’s main building.
Photo Courtesy of Kayla Morris
Evans County High Alma Mater
(Sung to the tune of Brahms’ Lullaby)
E.C. High we sing of thee;
To thee we pay homage;
We will ever be true,
As our precepts pursue.
We will ever glorify;
Our dear Evans County High,
We will ever glorify,
Our dear Evans County High
E.C. High we sing of thee;
As our hearts pant with glee,
Faithful to our every call,
We will never let thee fall.
To thee we’ll be nigh
Our dear Evans County High,
To thee we’ll be nigh,
Our dear Evans County High
From Gail Drake Dismuke’s “The Solid Rock”
Cyrus Gilbert Wiley was born August 13, 1881 on Hilton
Head Island, South Carolina to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wiley.
After attaining the highest level education possible on Hilton
Head, Wiley received both his high school and college education
at Georgia State Industrial College for Colored Youth. This school
was located in Savannah, and is now known as Savannah State
University. After completing his education in 1902, Wiley moved
to Valdosta where he became a notable educator. In Valdosta Wiley
served as principal of the Magnolia School for fifteen years. During
his time as an educator there, Wiley received the respect of both
black and white citizens for his commitment to students.
In 1921 Wiley became the second president of the Georgia
State Industrial College and was the first alumnus to do so. Prior to
being appointed president by the Board of Commissioners, Wiley
taught Mathematics at Georgia State Industrial College for a year.
During his time as president of Georgia State Industrial College,
Wiley was the first leader of the college to admit female boarding
students. He proposed the building of a female dormitory and began
a project to get the community involved in funding the construction.
Wiley also promoted agricultural education; the school
became a federal agricultural extension center during his tenure
there. With the passage of the Smith-Hughes Act of 1917, that
promoted vocational education with federal funds, the Wiley
administration took advantage of available funds and created not
only a four-year program in vocational agriculture, but allowed
students to have a split curriculum of both traditional subjects
such as history, mathematics, and English while having access to
the vocational agriculture program. Wiley supported the efforts of
agriculture students by highlighting an outstanding student at each
of the Annual Farmers Conference’s held at the college. These
students would be asked to present their work to attendees of the
conference.
At the end of his presidency in the summer of 1926, Wiley
became a pastor at St. Paul A.M.E in Macon, Ga., while serving as a
dean of a satellite school of Morris Brown College. In the following
years, Wiley would become pastor of Big Bethel A.M.E Church in
Atlanta and would pass away in January of 1930. Wiley was buried
in Sunset Hill Cemetery in Valdosta, Ga., and according to Valdosta
newspapers his funeral service was attended by both blacks and
whites who were friends of Wiley.
Wiley and his legacy are still remembered today by those
who were touched by his dedication to education. The “Cyrus G.
Wiley Distinguished Alumni Award” was named after Wiley in
1974 and is given annually by Savannah State University. The
Savannah State University gymnasium also bears his name as the
Wilcox-Wiley Physical Education Complex built in 1954. Cyrus
Wiley was well respected in the communities where he served; with
his involvement in the education of black students in Georgia, he
quickly became a pillar in those communities.
Cyrus G. Wiley:
Remembering a Distinguished Educator
Kayla Morris, African American Programs Assistant
Historic Preservation Division
Cyrus G. Wiley, Portrait located at Savannah State University.
Photo provided by Savannah State University, Archives.
Willcox-Wiley Gymnasium, Savannah State University.
Photo provided by Jeanne Cyriaque
3
4
Kayla Morris, continued from page 3
Cyrus G. Wiley: Remembering a Distinguished Educator
Magnolia School where Wiley was principal. Photo provided by the Lowndes County Historical Society.
Exterior of the Magnolia School. Photo provided by Valdosta State University.
5
President of the Albany Movement:
William Gilchrist Anderson
Kayla Morris, African American Programs Assistant
Historic Preservation Division
William Anderson born on December 12, 1927 in Americus,
Ga., would become a leader of a movement in southern
Georgia. Anderson who graduated high school and
enrolled at the age of 15 at Fort Valley State College (now Fort
Valley State University) in 1942, was a successful student. At Fort
Valley, Anderson was pre-med. As a result of World War II, his
studies were interrupted, and he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. When
Anderson returned home, he married a Fort Valley classmate, Norma
Lee Dixon, and moved to Atlanta. There, Anderson attended the
Atlanta College of Mortuary Science and completed his studies
in 1947. Anderson and Norma Lee then moved to Montgomery,
Ala., where he worked in a black funeral home and attended night
classes at Alabama State College. Here, Anderson befriended Ralph
Abernathy, who would become involved in the Albany Movement
that Anderson would later lead. Anderson eventually returned to
Atlanta, where he works as an educator at the Atlanta College
of Mortuary Science and at Booker T. Washington High School.
While in Atlanta Anderson forged a friendship with Martin Luther
King, Jr. Anderson still had the drive to pursue a career in the field
of medicine; Anderson attended the Des Moines Still College of
Osteopathy in Iowa and received his degree in 1956.
Anderson eventually settled in Albany, Ga., and expanded
his practice to include the area’s only black-owned drug store. He
quickly joined the black elite of Albany, who would soon encounter
the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) that
inspired the black residents of Albany to push for racial equality.
SNCC was already involved in sit-ins and protests to desegregate the
bus station in Albany, but the black leaders in town elected Anderson
as president of the local movement based on his position and ability
to run his business without the support of white businesses in town.
Anderson requested the assistance of his friends Ralph Abernathy
and Martin Luther King, Jr., with the movement in Albany. Though
the Albany Movement was later viewed as unsuccessful, it is
believed that it did help in getting many black voters registered
and gave other neighboring communities the idea to begin their
own protests.
After his involvement with the Albany Movement,
Anderson was appointed the first black surgical resident in Detroit’s
(Mich) Art Centre Hospital in 1964; he also led a group surgical
practice in Detroit until 1984. Anderson held the positions ofthe
chairman of the American Osteopathic Association’s (AOA)
Department of Education Affairs, associate clinical professor at the
Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, and
associate dean of the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in
Missouri. Anderson was also the first African American to serve as
president of the AOA in 1994, after he served on the AOA board of
directors for eighteen years. William Anderson’s story is not only
one of resilience and tenacity, but of desire to lead a purposeful
movement unselfishly. Anderson fulfilled his dream of working in
medicine and he helped open doors for people of color in Southern
Georgia.
William Anderson on Meet the Press to defend the actions of
protestors. Photo Courtesy of the Library of Congress, Prints
and Photographs Division.
L-R, Martin Luther King Jr., William G.
Anderson, and Ralph Abernathy. Photo
Courtesey of the Library of Congress, Prints and
Photographs Division
6
Kayla Morris, African American Programs Assistant
Historic Preservation Division
A True Woman of Distinction:
Bazoline Usher
position until 1943. Soon after leaving her position as principal,
Usher created black Girl Scout troops with the recruitment of black
troop leaders; more than 100 black girls joined in four black troops
located in Atlanta. These troops were known as District V.
For Black History Month, the Girl Scouts of Greater
Atlanta’s Headquarters, located in Mableton, Ga. created an exhibit
called “In The Lives of District V- The Untold Story of Atlanta’s
First African-American Girl Scout Troops.” Bazoline Usher, who
was nominated for Georgia’s Women of Achievement award in
2014, is truly an example of black excellence, with her passion and
dedication to education and the betterment of black children. Most
recently the Trustees of Georgia Women of Achievement hosted its
25th Annual Induction Ceremony, on Wednesday, March 9, 2016, at
Pierce Chapel on Wesleyan College’s Macon campus. A luncheon
was held after the ceremony and the keynote speaker was May Van
Wagenen, a 17-year-old teen author!
Bazoline Usher worked hard and became not just a
great and memorable educator, but a mother-figure to many. She
never married or had children of her own, as the times required
female teachers be single in order to remain employed. Surely
she left her stamp in Georgia history as a significant individual
who worked tirelessly for her community. Those whose lives were
touched by Usher, without question, consider themselves blessed.
To learn more about Bazoline Usher, visit Georgia Women of
Achievement: http://georgiawomen.org/2014/04/usher-bazoline/
While we are reflecting on the significance of Black history
and the influence black people have had in this country,
we cannot forget to highlight those who have helped
guide in a new generation of leaders, inventors, and innovators:
the educators. Without those who sought to teach, the future would
have been bleak; teaching requires not only a love for education
but a drive to shape the minds of the future. Bazoline Usher was
born in 1885 in Walton County, Ga., to Joe and Lavada Usher, who
quickly noticed their daughter’s intellect when she began to succeed
in school. Usher’s family moved to Atlanta so Bazoline could attend
Atlanta University’s high school program.
Usher, who eventually went on to receive her Master’s in
Education, in 1937, from Atlanta University, had a love for learning.
She began teaching, in 1906, in Virginia and returned to teach in
Atlanta, in 1915. She held the assistant principal position at Booker
T. Washington High School and then served as principal of David
T. Howard Grammar School in 1929. She maintained the principal
Bazonline Usher
Photo Courtesy of Georgia Women of Achievement
Exhibit of District V at the Greater Atlanta Girl Scouts Headquarters in
Mableton, GA
Photo by Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta
The Gathering at Geechee Kunda
Riceboro, Georgia
April 16, 2016
The Gathering at Geechee Kunda is a celebration of dance,
music, food and much more to honor the Gullah Geechee
way of life. The event features presentations, performances,
demonstrations, and a market for arts, crafts, and cuisine!
This family friendly festival is free and open to the public.
www.exploregeorgia.org/listing/9769-gathering-at-geecheekunda
20th Annual Pan African
Festival of Georgia
Macon, Georgia
April 22-24, 2016
The Tubman Museum is hosting their 20th Annual Pan
African Festival of Georgia in April. This festival features live
performances, a market-place where African-inspired goods
will be sold, along with both Caribbean and Soul food. This
event is family friendly and will celebrate African influences.
To learn more, visit:
http:www.tubmanmuseum.com/events_items/pan-africanfestival/
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Upcoming Events
Freedom Singers
of Albany
Albany, Georgia
2nd Saturday of Each
Month
On the second Saturday of each month, the Albany Civil
Rights Institute hosts the Freedom Singers who perfom songs
that helped keep up the spirits of the participants of the Civil
Rights Movement. To learn more, visit:
http://albanycivilrightsinstitute.org/index.php?option=com_
content&view=article&id=22&Itemid=25
Golf Tournament for Lucy
Craft Laney Museum
Augusta, Georgia
May 21, 2016
The first annual Golf Tournament will be hosted this year;
the proceeds from this event will go to the Lucy Craft Laney
Museum located in Augusta, Georgia. Lucy Craft Laney was
an education leader in Georgia during the late 19th century.
For more information, visit:
http://www.lucycraftlaneymuseum.com/events.htm
The Georgia African American Historic Preservation Network (GAAHPN)
was established in January 1989. It is composed of representatives from
neighborhood organizations and preservation groups. GAAHPN was
formed in response to a growing interest in preserving the cultural and built
diversity of Georgia’s African American heritage. This interest has translated into
a number of efforts which emphasize greater recognition of African American
culture and contributions to Georgia’s history. The GAAHPN Steering Committee
plans and implements ways to develop programs that will foster heritage education,
neighborhood revitalization, and support community and economic development.
The Network is an informal group of more than 3,000 people who have an
interest in preservation. Members are briefed on the status of current and
planned projects, and are encouraged to offer ideas, comments and suggestions.
The meetings provide an opportunity to share and learn from the preservation
experience of others, and to receive technical information through workshops.
Members receive a newsletter, Reflections, produced by the Network. Visit the
Historic Preservation Division website at www.georgiashpo.org. Preservation
information and previous issues of Reflections are available online. Membership
in the Network is free and open to all.
About GAAHPN
This publication has been financed in part with federal
funds from the National Park Service, Department of
the Interior, through the Historic Preservation Division,
Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The contents
and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or
policies of the Department of the Interior, nor does
the mention of trade names, commercial products or
consultants constitute endorsement or recommendation by
the Department of the Interior or the Georgia Department
of Natural Resources. The Department of the Interior
prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color,
national origin, or disability in its federally assisted
programs. If you believe you have been discriminated
against in any program, activity, or facility, or if you desire
more information, write to: Office for Equal Opportunity,
National Park Service, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington,
D.C. 20240.
Isaac Johnson, Chair
(706) 738-1901
Velmon Allen, Vice-Chair
GAAHPN Network
Lillian Davis
Dr. Gerald C. & Barbara Golden
Terry & Cynthia Hayes
Richard Laub
Kenneth Rollins
Steering Committee
Isaac Johnson
Chairman
Staff
8
Since its first issue appeared in December 2000, Reflections has documented
hundreds of Georgia’s African American historic resources. Now, all of these
articles are available on the Historic Preservation Division website www.
georgiashpo.org. Search for links to your topic by categories: cemeteries,
churches, districts, farms, lodges, medical, people, places, schools, and theatres.
You can now subscribe to Reflections from the homepage. Reflections is a
recipient of a Leadership in History Award from the American Association for
State and Local History.
About Reflections
Kayla Morris
African American
Programs Assistant
Voice (770) 389-7879
Fax (770) 389-7878
kayla.morris@dnr.ga.gov
Published quarterly by the
Historic Preservation Division
Georgia Department of Natural
Resources
Dr. David Crass, Division Director
Kayla Morris, Editor