ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Office of Communications and Public Engagement
130 Trinity Avenue SW | Atlanta, Georgia 30303
Seth Coleman, Director of Media & Social Media
404-802-2891, office
404-345-8630, cell
seth.coleman@atlanta.k12.ga.us
Jasmine Mosley, Media Relations Manager
404-802-2888, office
404-937-0473, cell
jasmine.mosley@atlanta.k12.ga.us
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 28, 2024
(Tuesday, 9 AM) Washington High School to Receive Georgia Civil Rights Trail Historical Marker in Celebration of School’s 100th Birthday
ATLANTA – Booker T. Washington High School will host the unveiling of a new historical marker from the Georgia Historical Society, in celebration of the 100th birthday of the city’s first high school for African Americans.
The marker will be placed next to the iconic statue of the school’s namesake at the front of the campus and is the newest addition to the Georgia Historical Society’s Georgia Civil Rights Trail, a statewide initiative that uses historical markers to highlight significant stories about the struggle for civil and human rights from Reconstruction through the late 20th century. The marker is being dedicated in partnership with The Rich’s Foundation and the Atlanta Alumni Association of Booker T. Washington High School, Inc.
Washington High School was created during the Jim Crow era through community advocacy and the activism of African American Atlanta voters and taxpayers. In the early 1900s, there were several segregated public primary schools and two public secondary schools for White students only. Atlanta’s Black community, led by the local NAACP chapter and Neighborhood Union, began mobilizing to address the disproportionate opportunities for education. The community’s efforts created political pressure that increased funds for the existing Black schools and resulted in the creation of Booker T. Washington High School, making it Atlanta’s first school for Black students.
Famous alumni of the school include famed civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., legendary actress Lena Horne, former United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (under President George H.W. Bush) Dr. Louis Sullivan, and comedian/actor Bruce Bruce.
“The opening of Booker T. Washington High School marked the first opportunity for Black students in Atlanta to attend a public high school," said Valerie Williams, Booker T. Washington High School Class of 1982, and a president of the Atlanta Alumni Association of Booker T. Washington High School, Inc. "This legendary institution deserves a place in history, not just in the history of Atlanta or Georgia, but of our country. Throughout its one hundred years, Booker T. Washington High School has produced a distinguished roster of alumni, who have gone on to make profound contributions in the United States.”
WHAT: Booker T. Washington High School will host the unveiling of a new historical marker from the Georgia Historical Society, in celebration of the 100th birthday of the first high school for African Americans in the state.
WHERE: Booker T. Washington High School | 45 White House Drive, SW
WHEN: Tuesday, October 29 | 9 AM
Available for Media Interviews
- Dr. William Wade, Principal, Booker T. Washington High School
- Dr. Erica McDonald, Great-great granddaughter of Booker T. Washington
- Valerie Williams, President, Atlanta Alumni Association of Booker T. Washington High School, Inc.
- Elyse Butler, Manager, Georgia Historical Society Marker Program
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About Atlanta Public Schools
Atlanta Public Schools is one of the largest school districts in the state of Georgia, serving approximately 50,000 students across 87 learning sites, including 59 neighborhood schools, 5 partner schools, 19 charter schools, 2 citywide single-gender academies, and 2 alternative programs. To learn more about Atlanta Public Schools, follow us on social media – Twitter (@apsupdate), Facebook (Atlanta Public Schools), and Instagram (apsupdate) – or visit us online at www.atlantapublicschools.us.
