ROANOKE (WSLS 10) - A piece of African American history is slowly disappearing across the United States. More than 100 years ago, Rosenwald Schools were built to provide a quality education for black children in the era between the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement. Julian Rosenwald, one of the owners of Sears, Roebuck and Company, along with Booker T. Washington developed plans to establish nearly 5,000 Rosenwald Schools in 15 states across the south. More than 350 were built in Virginia. Today, it is estimated that 10% of the schools remain, nationwide. Some people take pride in Rosenwald Schools while others look back with a sense of disgrace.
Everyday people passing through Rustburg, Virginia drive by a hidden jewel. At the intersection of Village Highway and Red House Road sits what looks like an old boarded up building. But it was once the heart of Campbell County's African-American community.
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"The life the connection between teachers, students and the community, " Millicent Nash, attended a Rosenwald School. "It was the center of life."
Millicent Nash and Delores Hicks attended the Campbell County Training School in 1956, it is believed to be one of the largest Rosenwald facilities in Virginia. The Rustburg School once included 5 buildings, 4 of which still remain. The two former students said they remember good times there like it was yesterday.
"One thing I can remember is the bazaar that we would have in the auditorium then. it was a special night and each classroom had a special booths" said Nash.
But others like Othello Rice don't have such fond memories.
"We were more or less the mother to teach them what they are supposed to do and how they should speak," said Othello Rice, a former teacher at a Shockoe, a Rosenwald School in Pittsylvania County.
Rice said it's too painful to return to the old Rosenwald sites. She looks back at the schools with a slight sense of embarassment. For her it's a reminder of segregation and black students being denied equal rights. Still Rice said she and others did their best to provide a quality education.
"I wanted to treat them like a human," said Rice.
After integration Rosenwald facilities were closed and in some cases destroyed. Some said they don't mind seeing the pieces of history fade away
"It was almost a blessing to destroy them because the white schools were far better than what we had," said Rice. "If we were riding out, I doubt seriously that I would tell you that I went to that elementary school. I wouldn't want you to know it."
Some have seen value in saving the schools. Over the years, Campbell County made renovations and the auditorium is now used for offices and storage. Despite changes, Hicks said she is happy to see the original structure and flooring intact.
"This is the foundation of what I am today" said Delores Hicks. "I would love that it is passed on to the students of today and tomorrow."
There are ongoing efforts to preserve Rosenwald schools. Through personal stories and accounts of the buildings, researchers like Sonja Ingram hope to fill gaps in our nation's history.
"You don't hear that much about the time in between when the slaves were freed" said Sonja Ingram, field representative for Preservation Virginia.
Ingram and others want to tell the stories of Rosenwald schools by documenting dozens of sites across the Commonwealth.
"There is just so much to learn from the Rosenwald project about early education of African-American kids and how the community took so much pride in the schools" said Ingram.
While sizes varied, Rosenwald schools followed a distinct design. They can be identified by the large windows which were built to capitalize on natural light in rural areas. Finding thee schools has been a challenge for preservationist. Some buildings were torn down and replaced. Ingram believes an Elks Lodge in Pittsylvania County was once Shockoe Elementary, the school where Othello Rice once taught.
"It was a but we moved on," said Rice.
With only 1 in 10 of the schools still remaining, Nash and Hicks are happy to see their alma mater is still left.
"They built them with love because they wanted better living conditions for their children," said Delores Hicks.
Through the Rosenwald project, former students and teachers hope to restore the facilities. By doing so, they hope to use the old schools to teach future generations about education in black communities and prevent an important part of history from being forgotten.
Rosenwald school alumni along with community groups are working together to raise money to restore remaining facilities and work with local school systems to use those building as educational tools. For more information about Rosenwald schools and to see pictures of the facilities http://rosenwald.fisk.edu/
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