We Must Save Charles Sumner High School to preserve our Black History!
We Must Save Charles Sumner High School to preserve our Black History!
The Issue
The Charles Sumner High, the first school for blacks west of the Mississippi, opened in 1875. Superintendent William Torrey Harris and the Board appointed Alva Clarence Clayton as principal. The district’s achievement standards were not lowered for us, so Mr. Clayton demanded the best educators available, to ensure that his students received a standard of education that matched that of white children. We were initially housed in an abandoned building that was considered no longer acceptable for white children and none of our teachers looked like us until 1877.
In 1879, our first black principal, Oscar Minor Waring, was at the helm and was able to continue lifting the literacy and pride of our city’s 1st generation of black children to attend school legally, post slavery. It was under his leadership that we had our first class of graduates, Miss Emma Vashon and Mr. John Pope in 1885. Miss Vashon went on to become a teacher, in fact, many of Sumner’s graduates, during the early years, became the foundational stock of black teachers for the City of St. Louis.
The location of our 2nd building and the facility itself were so deplorable, that in 1907, a group of concerned citizens, “The Colored Citizens of St. Louis,” lodged a complaint, with the Board, insisting on a new building in a safe and proper location. By then, we were led by Mr. Frank Lunsford Williams. Their complaint was heard and the Board approved plans for a new building to be located at 4248 West Cottage Ave. Our 3rd and current location opened in 1910.
Now at the milestone of 145 years, after our many graduates have left the halls of our dear Alma Mater and become firsts in or greatly impacted practically every walk of, brought great pride, notoriety and admiration to our district and city, we are facing closure, without ever receiving the open recognition from our district for what we have achieved, especiallygiven the many adversities we’ve faced and overcome!
This petition is not in opposition of the district’s responsibility to Right size itself, it is to to urge the district to do the Right thing, by honoring those who have fought the good fight for the education of black children and preserve the worthiness of The Charles Sumner High School!
Warice Blackmon-Davis, Sumner c/o1980, Founder of Sumner’s Ladies of the 80s
8,958
The Issue
The Charles Sumner High, the first school for blacks west of the Mississippi, opened in 1875. Superintendent William Torrey Harris and the Board appointed Alva Clarence Clayton as principal. The district’s achievement standards were not lowered for us, so Mr. Clayton demanded the best educators available, to ensure that his students received a standard of education that matched that of white children. We were initially housed in an abandoned building that was considered no longer acceptable for white children and none of our teachers looked like us until 1877.
In 1879, our first black principal, Oscar Minor Waring, was at the helm and was able to continue lifting the literacy and pride of our city’s 1st generation of black children to attend school legally, post slavery. It was under his leadership that we had our first class of graduates, Miss Emma Vashon and Mr. John Pope in 1885. Miss Vashon went on to become a teacher, in fact, many of Sumner’s graduates, during the early years, became the foundational stock of black teachers for the City of St. Louis.
The location of our 2nd building and the facility itself were so deplorable, that in 1907, a group of concerned citizens, “The Colored Citizens of St. Louis,” lodged a complaint, with the Board, insisting on a new building in a safe and proper location. By then, we were led by Mr. Frank Lunsford Williams. Their complaint was heard and the Board approved plans for a new building to be located at 4248 West Cottage Ave. Our 3rd and current location opened in 1910.
Now at the milestone of 145 years, after our many graduates have left the halls of our dear Alma Mater and become firsts in or greatly impacted practically every walk of, brought great pride, notoriety and admiration to our district and city, we are facing closure, without ever receiving the open recognition from our district for what we have achieved, especiallygiven the many adversities we’ve faced and overcome!
This petition is not in opposition of the district’s responsibility to Right size itself, it is to to urge the district to do the Right thing, by honoring those who have fought the good fight for the education of black children and preserve the worthiness of The Charles Sumner High School!
Warice Blackmon-Davis, Sumner c/o1980, Founder of Sumner’s Ladies of the 80s
8,958
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Petition created on December 11, 2020