Webb School Presents ‘Building a Bright Future: Black Communities and Rosenwald Schools in Tennessee’

McKENZIE — Every Tuesday and Saturday from September 17 to November 2 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Webb High School presents Building a Bright Future: Black Communities and Rosenwald Schools in Tennessee, a new traveling exhibition created by the Tennessee State Museum in partnership with The John Hope and Aurelia E. Franklin Library at Fisk University

The exhibition traces the history of education for Black Tennesseans from the Reconstruction period, through the development of the Rosenwald program and into the present day.

Prior to 1896, few records exist about education for black children in the McKenzie area; usually their education was provided by local churches.

Early in the 20th century, a one-room school was built just outside of town for African American education. One teacher was responsible for teaching all the students in all subjects.

Around the year 1900, due to increased parental involvement, another room and another teacher were added. This complex was known as the Booker T. Washington High School.

In 1920, Professor James L. Seets became principal of Booker T. Washington, to which the Carroll County Training School was added in 1927.

Professor Seets contacted Julius Rosenwald, who was helping schools throughout the South through his humanitarian foundation and secured a donation from the Rosenwald Foundation of $1,000, a matching $1,000 was easily raised by the community, and that $2,000 financed the construction of four additional rooms. Later, an additional $8,000 from the Rosenwald Foundation and the McKenzie Community expanded the facility further, including dormitories for students and teachers and two school buses.

What are commonly referred to as Rosenwald Schools were the result of an initial partnership between Sears, Roebuck, and Co. president Julius Rosenwald, Tuskegee Institute president Booker T. Washington and black communities throughout the South. Between 1912-1937, that partnership resulted in the construction of almost 5,000 schools for black children across 15 southern states, including 354 in Tennessee. Rosenwald schools drove improvement in black educational attainment and helped educate the generation who became leaders of the Civil Rights movement.

The traveling exhibition on display at Webb consists of five two-sided panels and includes the engaging stories of alumni and community members from 16 different Rosenwald Schools in Tennessee, including Carroll County.

“TSM and Fisk wanted to build a more diverse and inclusive space for all Tennesseans to learn about and honor the history and legacy of Black education in the state,” said Debbie Shaw, Senior Curator of Archaeology at the Tennessee State Museum. “The resilience and perseverance of these black communities as they strived for equal access to education is highlighted through their work with the Rosenwald School program. The legacy continues today as members from these same groups work toward the preservation of these schools and communities.”

“Our teams at the Fisk University John Hope and Aurelia E. Franklin Library and the Forging Future Pathways Forward: Building a Portal to Rosenwald Collections for all at Fisk University project were thrilled to partner and collaborate with Tennessee State Museum,” said DeLisa M. Harris, Director of Library Services at Fisk University. “This exhibit is the first major showcase of the impact and legacy of the Julius Rosenwald Fund Rural School program in Tennessee.”

This traveling exhibit is an expansion of Building a Bright Future: Black Communities and Rosenwald Schools in Tennessee, an initiative that included a 4,000-square foot temporary exhibit at the Tennessee State Museum and a two-day symposium. The project won a 2024 American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) Leadership in History Award of Excellence and the 2024 Tennessee Association of Museums President’s Award. For more information visit: Building a Bright Future.

The Tennessee Historical Commission erected a historical marker to commemorate Webb High School’s importance in Tennessee history on September 23, 2024. In 2016, the alumni association inc. opened the Webb School Historical Museum that showcases Webb School memorabilia including photographs, yearbooks, scrapbooks, mementos, and other historically relevant information.