Boydton Academic and Bible Institute facts for kids
The Boydton Academic and Bible Institute was a special Christian school for African American students. It was open from 1879 to 1935 in a town called Boydton, Virginia. This school was built on the same land where Randolph–Macon College used to be. Randolph-Macon College was there from 1830 until 1868, when it moved to a different town. The Boydton Academic and Bible Institute is now part of something called the Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail, which helps people learn about important places in history.
In 1878, a person named Charles Cullis bought the old Randolph-Macon College campus. He wanted to start a new school there, which became the Boydton Academic and Bible Institute. Many students attended this school, including a famous person named Vernon Johns.
Today, we can still learn about this school. The American Folklife Center has five interviews with people who knew about the school and its history. Also, the University of Michigan has a collection of old photographs taken at the school, showing what life was like there.
Famous Alumni
Many important people studied at the Boydton Academic and Bible Institute. Here are a few:
- Molonket Ole Sempele: He was a chief, missionary, and educator from Kenya.
- Vernon Johns: He became a very important leader in the American Civil Rights Movement.
- Mozella Jordan Price: She worked as a supervisor for African American schools in Appomattox County for many years, from 1919 to 1963.
Related Places
- Carver-Price High School: This is another important school with a connection to the history of education for African Americans in Virginia.
