Opelousas Colored School

Opelousas Colored School
Location
Corner of Vine Street and Academy Street, Opelousas, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States
Coordinates	30.530867°N 92.074733°W / 30.530867; -92.074733 (Opelousas Colored School)
Information
Other names	Opelousas Training School, St. Landry Parish Training School (1942–1969)
Opened	1919
Closed	1953
Succeeded by	J.S. Clark High School (1953–1970)

Opelousas Colored School (1919–1953) was a public segregated school for African American students in Opelousas, Louisiana, United States.[1][2] It was the first public school for Black students in the city. It was known as St. Landry Parish Training School by 1942, and was succeeded by J.S. Clark High School from 1953 to 1970.

A historical marker for the school exists near the first campus location since 2004.[3][4][5]

History

The earliest African American school in the St. Landry Parish was the Grimble Bell School in Washington, Louisiana, founded in the 1830s, and shut down in 1860 by White vigilantes.[6][7][8] This was followed by new African American schools formed after the end of the American Civil War, The Freedman’s School and the Peabody School.[9]

In 1918, the Opelousas Colored School needed a larger building, and city council suggested they move into the former St. Landry High School building on North Market Street, which was constructed in 1893 and vacant since 1915.[10][11] The building was moved in 1919 to the corner of Vine and Academy streets.[10]

In 1942, the school name changed to St. Landry Parish Training School (sometimes written as Opelousas Training School), and the curriculum shifted to a focus on teacher training.[12] The St. Landry Parish Training School closed in 1953,[13] because their larger student population necessitated a new, larger school building. The former St. Landry Parish Training School building was demolished in 1961.[1]

J.S. Clark High School

In response to the closure of the Opelousas Colored School, the new J.S. Clark High School was constructed at 1100 East Leo Street in Opelousas.[14] It was named after Joseph Samuel Clark, the first president of Southern University and a key contributor to the founding of the National Urban League.[14] The U.S. Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education (1954) ruled school segregation to be unconstitutional, but the state of Louisiana delayed ending the practice.[13] J. S. Clark High School and Opelousas High School were merged in c. 1969 – c. 1970, and both schools became Opelousas High School (OHS).[10][15]

J.S. Clark High School colors were maroon and white, and the mascot was a bulldog.[14] The school's track team were champions in 1966. Alumni include Olympic gold medal winning hurdler Rodney Milburn. The site of the former J.S. Clark High School also has a historical marker, and a memorial walkway.[16][17] The building used for J.S. Clark High was turned into East Junior High School, followed by Magnet Academy for Cultural Arts[14] starting in 2005.

See also

• Colored, racial exonym
• Colored school
• Training school (United States)

References

1. Hartley, Carola Lillie (February 28, 2020). "African American education in Opelousas – Part Two". Daily World. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
2. "Prescott Praised For School Work At Negro Closing". Clarion–News, Opelousas. June 6, 1929. p. 4. Retrieved February 22, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Opelousas Colored School Historical Marker". Historical Marker Database. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
4. Guidry, Leigh (July 13, 2022). "'It's a long, hard battle': 50 years after integration, Acadiana schools have re-segregated". Yahoo! News. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
5. Pinkins, Latrice (July 27, 2004). "Monument to recognize site of SLP Training School". Daily World. p. 1. Retrieved February 22, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
6. Hartley, Carola Lillie (February 22, 2020). "Parlons Opelousas: History of African American education in Opelousas". Daily World. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
7. Dormon, James H. (1996). Creoles of Color of the Gulf South. University of Tennessee Press. p. 79. ISBN 978-0-87049-917-3.
8. Neidenbach, Elizabeth Clark (April 28, 2011). "Free People of Color from the Early American Period through the Civil War". 64 Parishes. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
9. Hartley, Carola Lillie (July 6, 2018). "Holy Ghost High School, Opelousas, LA". African American High Schools in Louisiana Before 1970. Gannett Louisiana. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
10. Hartley, Carola Lillie (February 22, 2022). "Tidbits of Opelousas History: African American Education in Opelousas". St. Landry Now. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
11. "$600 Not Enough, Says School Board". Daily World. September 4, 1960. p. 23. Retrieved February 22, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
12. Kirk, Stephanie (June 15, 2003). "St. Landry Parish Training School, 1917–1953; For Alumni, Memories Linger". Daily World. p. 13. Retrieved February 22, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "GMA Dave Trips: Black History-Segregated Schools In St. Landry Parish". KATC (TV). February 12, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
14. "J. S. Clark High School, Opelousas, Louisiana". African American High Schools in Louisiana Before 1970. June 18, 2018. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
15. "St. Landry educator remembers desegregation of schools". KATC (TV). January 20, 2020. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
16. "J.S. Clark High School Historical Marker". Historical Marker Database. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
17. "The Barking Bulldogs" (PDF). African American High Schools in Louisiana Before 1970. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 22, 2024.