Photo by Cliff Williams/Times-Georgian
slideshow
Carolyn Gray looks on as Carrollton High School Principal Dr. Mark Albertus makes remarks Tuesday night to officially open the Carver High Experience at the school. Gray helped create the displays that hang in the halls of the school where they will remain through the end of March to help celebrate the history of Carver High. George Washington Carver High School served Carroll County’s African American students from 1954 to 1969. The school had as many as 400 to 500 students a year and alumni number above 1,000, according to Carolyn Gray. Gray helped create the displays that hang in the halls of the school where they will remain through the end of March to help celebrate the history of Carver High.
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I also extend my heartfelt thanks to Principal Dr. Mark Albertus for his support of Carver High Museum efforts and for inviting Carver High alumni and teachers to share their personal Carver High experiences with CHS students in classroom presentations and Q&A sessions. I will be one of the presenters and encourage. other Carver High alumni and teachers to join me in participating in the classroom sessions by contacting me at at 678 833-4446 or leaving a message on the Face Book pages of: "The Carver High Museum" or "Friends of Carver High Museum."
I send big hugs and super thanks to the intrepid Kisha Mitchell, CHS administrator who serves as Graduation Coach and Advisor to a student service club called S.I.S.T.E.R. - whose current members (an outstanding group of energetic, creative, beautiful and totally brilliant African American female students) installed the images on the hallway walls and chided me about the large number of images of Homecoming Queens (especially the images of myself). What can I say...EVERYBODY KNOWS...ALL HOMECOMING QUEENS RULE!!!
The purpose of the exhibit is to share with Carrollton High students an aspect of their shared history through an immersive public history experience.
CHMA is seeking sponsors for a more professional and portable traveling exhibit of 'The Carver High Experience' to enable regular display of the materials at schools, churches, businesses and other locations throughout the county.
In closing, this exhibit has no political point of view. It is simply answers the question: What was it like to attend an all-black high school back in the day? The Answer: It was FUN and redemptive for we gained encouragement and hope from each other.
There are many distinguished outstanding Carver graduates eminently qualified to have made the evening's opening remarks instead.
Let us never forget how Carrollton City and West Georgia College treated us Carver graduates in the 50's & 60's.
I was taught by my parents that when you're invited into another person's house you must show them respect. Dr. Albertus is responsible for what goes on at CHS and it would have been the height of rudeness and disrespect not to have asked him to speak.
FYI Several distinguished grads were invited to give comments .... those who attended did make comments - including myself. ALL OF CARVER HIGH ALUMNI ARE ALWAYS INVITED TO ATTEND ALLL OF OUR EVENTS and we normally have great attendance by them...but the weather was awful last night. WHERE WERE YOU???
As for forgetting .... the 'Lord's Prayer says Forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors...' Friend, there comes a time to forgive even if you do not forget. My work is to see that our story lives on for it's value is not in nursing old wounds, but in showing how the power of that experience enabled us to rise above even the most negative circumstances of segregation to go on to live great lives and achieve great things.