Booker T. Washington High School’s historical significance as an important landmark in civil rights history was immortalized on Tuesday, October 29, as the school celebrated becoming a historical marker.
The Georgia Historical Society (GHS), which has erected over 300 historical markers and more than 50 on the Georgia Civil Rights Trail, received a grant from The Rich’s Foundation and chose Booker T. Washington High School to be added to the Georgia Civil Rights Trail.
“Booker T. Washington High School is really the story of the Atlanta community coming together,” GHS manager of programs and special projects Elyse Butler said. “The establishment of this high school allowed for secondary education for African Americans in the community and for better textbooks and facilities.”
The historical marker dedication took place in front of the school with students and proud alumni in the audience for the unveiling. Booker T. Washington High School, which was founded 100 years ago, was Atlanta’s first public secondary school for Black students.
“We put in a lot of work to make sure the legacy and tradition of Booker T. Washington High School remains and sustains,” Washington Atlanta Alumni Association president Valerie Williams said. “We have great prestigious alumni, but we want to ensure that the future knows about the path in which we walked.”
Raymond “Tweet” Williams, who graduated from Washington High School in 1944 and was a classmate of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., said that being present for the historical marker dedication reminded him of how much the statue of Booker T. Washington, that still stands in front of the school today, inspired him.
“We used to come there often and read that statue because it was a motivating factor to us to come here and get a decent education,” he said. “You always have to have something to motivate you. The marker you see now is strictly for these students, and they ought to be proud of it.”
As Booker T. Washington High School continues to celebrate its centennial throughout the year, moments like the historical marker dedication enhances the level of pride the community has for its school.
“This celebrates all the students that have walked these hallowed halls and the impact they have made locally, nationally and internationally,” Washington High School historian Marcie A. Wynn said. “For us, it’s an outward and visible sign of things we already knew,” she added.
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