Other States
States across the South equalized their black and white public schools. Some states, like Georgia and Mississippi, had very similar programs to South Carolina, where the school construction program was statewide and funded by a state sales tax. In states like Virginia and North Carolina, the state legislatures appropriated one-time funding (known as the Battle Fund in VA) for new African American school construction. In other states, like Louisiana and Texas, each school district equalized its school buildings as necessary.
Historic preservationists in each state are now documenting and preserving their equalization schools from the 1950s and 1960s. While not all southern states are included below, more will be added as research is collected and published.
Alabama
Alabama’s school equalization program began in 1945 and continued until integration in 1970. Communities and organizations across Alabama are working to identify, record, and preserve the remaining equalization schools. All 67 of Alabama’s counties contained at least one equalization school. For more information on Alabama’s segregated schools, visit the Encyclopedia of Alabama. The Alabama Historical Commission began identifying equalization schools and listing them in the Alabama Register. Some Alabama equalization schools include:
Florida
Florida’s public school system was segregated from the start. In 1955, the acting state governor Charley Johns proposed to amend the United States Constitution allowing “separate but equal” public schools. Instead, Florida’s state superintendent of education started their equalization program. The Florida State Historic Preservation Office has a Multiple Property Submission for Florida’s Historic Black Public Schools.
Georgia
Georgia was the first southern state to set up a sales tax for funding an equalization school construction program. The state required registered architects to design the schools, and the program constructed new black high schools across the state, often the first black high school in an area. Georgia has listed multiple equalization schools in the National Register of Historic Places. This historic context discusses the history of the program and some of the schools constructed. The Georgia Interscholastic Association website has an equalization schools essay and photographs.
Louisiana
Louisiana’s equalization school program occurred at the local level, by the school boards. The city of New Orleans constructed around 12 new black schools in response to an equalization lawsuit. Caddo Parish built 18 new black schools after the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision. To learn more about all of Louisiana’s black high schools, including the equalization schools, visit the African American High Schools in Louisiana Before 1970 site.
Mississippi
Mississippi, along with Georgia and South Carolina, funded its statewide school equalization program with a sales tax. Local lawsuits put pressure on the state’s leaders to distribute school funds without the racist intent of local school districts. Mississippi’s equalization school program changed the landscape of education across the state. This essay gives a historic context to the program.
Tennessee
Many of the South’s equalization schools replaced smaller one- or two-room black schools. Some of those earlier black schools were Rosenwald schools, closed when a new, larger equalization school opened in the early 1950s. In Tennessee, the Montgomery High School in Lexington was one of those equalization schools that replaced an older Rosenwald building. The Lauderdale High School in Ripley encompassed an even earlier 1912 black school. For more information on Tennessee equalization schools, visit https://tnequalizationschools.com/.
Texas
Texas straddles the border of the South and of the Southwest. The majority of Texas’ African American students went to school in the eastern half of the state, and that is where the state’s equalization schools can be found. Because of this, Texas left school equalization up to local school districts. Historic preservationists have studied little of the schools in this time period. The original L.C. Anderson High School campus of 1953, in Austin, is one of these equalization schools in the state.
Virginia
Virginia was the seat of massive resistance to desegregation and integration, especially in the wake of the Brown decision. But black Virginians began fighting for equality in the 1940s.The state set aside a portion of its annual budget, known as the Battle Fund after Governor William C. Battle, to build new African American equalization schools. One of those schools, the Booker T. Washington Elementary School, is part of the National Park Service system.
Historic preservationists in each state are now documenting and preserving their equalization schools from the 1950s and 1960s. While not all southern states are included below, more will be added as research is collected and published.
Alabama
Alabama’s school equalization program began in 1945 and continued until integration in 1970. Communities and organizations across Alabama are working to identify, record, and preserve the remaining equalization schools. All 67 of Alabama’s counties contained at least one equalization school. For more information on Alabama’s segregated schools, visit the Encyclopedia of Alabama. The Alabama Historical Commission began identifying equalization schools and listing them in the Alabama Register. Some Alabama equalization schools include:
- Academy Street High School, Troy, Pike County School
- Ada Hanna Elementary School, Hamilton, Marion County
- East Highland High School, Sylacauga, Talladega County
- Mack M. Mathews Elementary School, Pinckard, Dale County
- South Girard High School, Phenix City, Russell County
- W.B. Doby High School, Wetumpka, Elmore County
Florida
Florida’s public school system was segregated from the start. In 1955, the acting state governor Charley Johns proposed to amend the United States Constitution allowing “separate but equal” public schools. Instead, Florida’s state superintendent of education started their equalization program. The Florida State Historic Preservation Office has a Multiple Property Submission for Florida’s Historic Black Public Schools.
Georgia
Georgia was the first southern state to set up a sales tax for funding an equalization school construction program. The state required registered architects to design the schools, and the program constructed new black high schools across the state, often the first black high school in an area. Georgia has listed multiple equalization schools in the National Register of Historic Places. This historic context discusses the history of the program and some of the schools constructed. The Georgia Interscholastic Association website has an equalization schools essay and photographs.
Louisiana
Louisiana’s equalization school program occurred at the local level, by the school boards. The city of New Orleans constructed around 12 new black schools in response to an equalization lawsuit. Caddo Parish built 18 new black schools after the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision. To learn more about all of Louisiana’s black high schools, including the equalization schools, visit the African American High Schools in Louisiana Before 1970 site.
Mississippi
Mississippi, along with Georgia and South Carolina, funded its statewide school equalization program with a sales tax. Local lawsuits put pressure on the state’s leaders to distribute school funds without the racist intent of local school districts. Mississippi’s equalization school program changed the landscape of education across the state. This essay gives a historic context to the program.
Tennessee
Many of the South’s equalization schools replaced smaller one- or two-room black schools. Some of those earlier black schools were Rosenwald schools, closed when a new, larger equalization school opened in the early 1950s. In Tennessee, the Montgomery High School in Lexington was one of those equalization schools that replaced an older Rosenwald building. The Lauderdale High School in Ripley encompassed an even earlier 1912 black school. For more information on Tennessee equalization schools, visit https://tnequalizationschools.com/.
Texas
Texas straddles the border of the South and of the Southwest. The majority of Texas’ African American students went to school in the eastern half of the state, and that is where the state’s equalization schools can be found. Because of this, Texas left school equalization up to local school districts. Historic preservationists have studied little of the schools in this time period. The original L.C. Anderson High School campus of 1953, in Austin, is one of these equalization schools in the state.
Virginia
Virginia was the seat of massive resistance to desegregation and integration, especially in the wake of the Brown decision. But black Virginians began fighting for equality in the 1940s.The state set aside a portion of its annual budget, known as the Battle Fund after Governor William C. Battle, to build new African American equalization schools. One of those schools, the Booker T. Washington Elementary School, is part of the National Park Service system.