We, the undersigned residents, alumni families, faith leaders, and allies, urgently call on our elected officials to protect and restore the 6 -acre property on E St. once the proud site of E.H. Henry Rosenwald School, the only institution in our county where Black students could receive an education during Jim Crow.

Why This Land Matters:

 1. Education has always been important

Our grandparents learned to write cursive by their third grade year in the halls of the E.H. Henry School. Our families always knew that education was not just the key, but it was also the power. Every brick in the crumbling building was paid for with fried-fish-fry nickels and Sunday-service pennies. To leave these hallowed grounds unkempt and unattended and bury history means we write over chapters we were never allowed to write in the first place.

 2. Footsteps of firsts

From here came our county’s first Black nurse, first Black math teacher, and first Black city councilor. Their diplomas opened doors for us; preserving their campus opens eyes for the next generation.

 3. A Living Textbook

 Textbooks can be banned, but land will always tell the truth. 

 Standing where freedom seekers studied turns history from a paragraph to a pulse that you can feel beating beneath the soles of your feet.

What we seek:

Partnership with the city of eagle lake and colorado county to restore and reopen the site as a cultural enrichment complex- housing a public archive, a memorial garden honoring the founder, faculty, and students who attended before intergration, and a multiuse space for cultural farmers markets, sustainable rooftop garden, outdoor theatre and event space, and a community study and workspace.

Partnership with local businesses to provide gardening, property maintenance, and lawn care equipment. (Ex. Lawnmowers, plants, plant pots, etc...)

 An annual Juneteenth and Founder's Day celebration managed by the board, representing families, educators, and the community.

 What you can do:

 Sign this petition
 Share with family and friends
 Donate to the E.H. Henry Foundation
 Volunteer to help restore and maintain the property
 Utilize the site for outdoor events, activities, and scenic nature walks with your families

Our elders fought for and protected this land when they had no vote, voice, or vindication. 
Today we have all three. Let’s use them.
Losing this land means losing a living monument to strength, courage, and resilience. 
Saving and restoring this land means we plant seeds of dignity that will outlive us all.
In honor of the students who studied by kerosene lamp, so we can read by fluorescent light;
In honor of the professors who worked for half pay so we could earn whole futures;
We sign this petition

“Protect this land and protect our future!”