NORTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF BLACK HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI (NCABHSA)

     Most of the former African-American high schools in North Carolina, including the eight located in Edgecombe

and Nash County, closed their doors between 1969

and 1973 in response to the desegregation plans set forth by

the state of North Carolina. Shortly after that time, vigorously

active alumni groups of those schools were established

and have existed since the mid-seventies. These alumni

associations are well organized and strong in their determination

to stay connected, to make a difference among

youth and to keep the history and memory of their schools

alive within the communities.

 

     The schools listed below were among the many affected by

the closures under the desegregation plans of the state and

are the charter schools of the North Carolina Association of

Black High School Alumni (NCABHSA).  Although Brick

School was not a part of the state’s action at that time, it

holds a special place in  the African American educational history of the state.

Brick School was the forerunner of several area high schools

including Phillips in Edgecombe County, Swift Creek in

Nash County and Inborden in Halifax County.

 

NCABHSA CHARTER SCHOOLS

 

Edgecombe County___

Phillips High School - Battleboro

Booker T. Washington High School – Rocky Mount

W.A. Pattillo High School - Tarboro

Conetoe High School - Conetoe

G.W. Carver High School - Pinetops

 

Nash County

Nash County Training School/Nash Central High School -

Nashville

Swift Creek High School – Whitakers

C.C. Spaulding High School – Spring Hope

 

     Brick School, a private institution funded by the American

Missionary Association, was among one of the earliest of

the secondary schools that served the African-American

community in Edgecombe and surrounding counties in

Eastern North Carolina. Brick School originated in 1895

with 54 students attending thru grade four. In 1926 it became

a junior college and was the only place African American’s

could get a secondary education in the area. It was

the first accredited school for African Americans in North Carolina.

     Brick as a junior college, was forced to close in 1933 due to the economic

hardships of the great depression. However, the AMA transferred its school

building to the three surrounding county boards of education in Edgecombe,

Nash and Halifax for use as a public high school. In 1946, this building

on the Brick campus was destroyed by a fire caused by a boiler malfunction.

The area county students who were attending Brick continued their

schooling in local African American churches until Phillips High School was

constructed in 1949 in Battleboro. Shortly afterwards, Swift Creek and

Inborden were built to accommodate the Nash and Halifax county high

school students. Other schools in Nash and Edgecombe built for African

Americans included, Nash County Training School and C.C. Spaulding in

Nash County; G. W. Carver and Conetoe High School in southern Edgecombe.

Conetoe had actually been built for the white students in that area

but was given to African Americans living in the southern end of the county

for use in 1948-49. Public schools, Booker T. Washington and W.A.

Pattillo had been established in the early 1920s and served African-

Americans living within the city limits of Rocky Mount and Tarboro, respectively.

After they were closed, each of these high schools formed an alumni association

or alumni organization with numbers ranging from less than a hundred

to over 400 members. They meet regularly to conduct business, to fellowship,

and to structure projects that will support the college endeavors of

graduating seniors and the success of other school children. Many of those

projects have involved contributing and raising money for scholarships,

donating school supplies and library books. The scholarships are awarded

during their annual school reunions which are generally held at various

times each year from May to September. Many of these alumni groups have

also been involved in other projects such as collecting canned goods for the

community, providing personal supplies for the local women’s prison, and

awarding annual savings bonds to outstanding middle-school students.

 

     The alumni associations have been formed for as many as 30 to 37 years and

have remained full of pride for their schools and their former teachers and

principals. Several have chapters in cities along the East Coast. Many

graduates of these schools have enjoyed a multitude of successful careers and

a great many continued to live in the area after graduation from high school

and college, with more returning to the area over the years as retirees.

These former African American schools may have been closed, torn down,

changed to elementary and/or middle schools or forgotten by local newspapers,

community leaders, and even some citizens in these counties; however,

the love, memory, and pride felt by their graduates remains alive and

well. Their alumni reunite regularly not only to award scholarships, but

also in remembrance, celebration, love, and friendship with their fellow

“Bulldogs,” “Falcons,” “Beavers,” “Eagles,” “Trojans,” “Lions“,

“Bears,” ,”Wildcat,” and “Tigers”. They want to pass on their history and

legacy to other girls and boys as well as the messages of hope through education and citizenship.

These messages were the foundations of excellence instilled by many of the schools’ mottos like those of Phillips “B-Somebody”

Conetoe’s, “Nothing Succeeds Like Success,” and Gethsemane’s, “Onward and Upward.’

 The annual school reunions have been the source

 of continued pride over the years and they have spurned greater connections

with more individual class reunions, newsletters, websites,

e-mails accounts, and, recently, the formation of the

NCABHSA (North Carolina Association of Black High School

Alumni) in July 2008.

 

     The purpose of NCABHSA is to link the Black high school

alumni association members, graduates, and attendees for the

purpose of carrying out its mission to preserve the history and legacy of

Black high schools in the state of North Carolina, and to engage in

educational partnerships that will promote and distribute

scholarships to our youth.  The eight charter schools of the

organization have been joined recently by new member

schools from counties surrounding Edgecombe and Nash.

Bethel Union High School of Pitt County and Gethsemane of

Franklin County are among more recent members who have

joined as well as an individual member from Darden High

School of Wilson.

     The first activity of this organization was a dinner/dance on

November 28, 2008, at Nash Central ‘s O.D. Moore

Alumni Facility, 806 South Alston St., Nashville, NC.  In

keeping with its commitment to foster the alumni’s continued

connection to the community, the first event by the NCABHSA

also included exemplary participation in the annual Toys

-for-Tots campaign. Attendees donated a multitude of toys for

this program to benefit needy children for the holidays.

 

                          Purpose

“To gather, share and preserve the history

of our former high schools.”

 

“To provide information and service to

fellow alumni associations, parents, students

and community leaders and to work

with each in areas that will directly benefit

the educational achievements and character

of our youth.

 

To support other organizations that reflects

our educational and mentoring ideals for

our youth.”