George Washington Carver High School (Columbus, Georgia) facts for kids

George Washington Carver High School is a public high school in Columbus, Georgia. For many years, it was the main high school for Black students in the area. This was before all public schools in the United States allowed students of all races to learn together. In 2009, a special tax helped fund the rebuilding of the school. It reopened its doors in 2012.

School History

Bringing Schools Together

In 1963, the Muscogee County School District started a special group. This group was formed to plan how to bring students of all races together in schools. That September, the school board agreed to a plan. It would let students choose which school to attend. This plan aimed to integrate one grade level each year.

In January 1964, a civil rights group called the NAACP filed a lawsuit. They argued that the school district had an unfair school system for Black students. The school superintendent, Dr. William Henry Shaw, said that separating students by race was a "long and universal custom." He also said that ending it would "injure the feelings and physical well-being of the children."

However, in September 1968, the school district decided that all grades should be integrated. This was still under the "freedom of choice" plan. Later, a federal court case ruled that teachers should also be integrated. The district then agreed to assign at least two teachers of a different race to every school. Both teachers and students felt that the main goal during this time was just to get through it, rather than focusing on learning.

By 1970, many schools were still mostly separated. Most schools that were mainly white only had the two required Black teachers. But many schools that were mainly Black had more white teachers. To avoid losing $1.8 million in federal money, the school district fully integrated the schools in 1971. After this, about 70% of the students at Carver High School were white. Pictures of George Washington Carver were removed to make the white students feel more comfortable. In 1997, the federal government stopped overseeing the school district's integration efforts.

Famous People Who Attended Carver High

Many talented individuals have attended George Washington Carver High School. Here are some of them:

• Brentson Buckner – a professional football player and later a coach.
• Isaiah Crowell – a professional football player.
• Wallace Davis – a professional football player who also coached at Carver.
• Roderick Hood – a professional football player.
• Chris Hubbard – a professional football player.
• Jarvis Jones – a professional football player.
• Dell McGee – a professional football player who also coached at Carver.
• Ruby Sales – a well-known civil rights activist.
• Jasper Sanks – a football player.
• Gabe Wright – a professional football player.