Members of the families who were part of the historic integration of the Franklin County School System will speak at the 2 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 19, celebration of the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of the schools, as part of a series of community-wide events surrounding Martin Luther King Jr. Day. All members of the community are invited to attend.
The Sewanee Civic Association (SCA) has been working for months to honor the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of the schools, and to offer a tribute to the Sewanee community and eight local families who played a major role in the historic integration. The families of Hill, Sisk, Staten, Turner, Bates, Cameron, Camp and Goodstein joined together in the unique suit that was comprised of four black families and four white families. The Sewanee community also provided funding to enlarge the school and began a tutoring program to ensure that all students would thrive in the newly integrated school. In 1964, the U.S. District Court issued an order to desegregate the schools and in August the system began to assimilate all children into the classroom regardless of race.
Among those who are expected at the event are Robin Bates, Doug Cameron, Marvin Goodstein, Juliette Larkins and Sandra Turner Davis. Officials from the Tennessee Historical Commission and members of the Franklin County School board are expected to attend.
The program on Sunday will begin inside SES and then move outside, where a new historical marker will be unveiled and dedicated.
At the conclusion of the ceremonies, there will be a reception in Brooks Hall at Otey Parish. Otey Parish was instrumental in forging community relationships for the tutoring of many students prior to enrolling at Sewanee Public School. School of Theology students and spouses helped with the adjunct teaching program .
Leading the SCA planning efforts have been Elizabeth Duncan, Susan Holmes and Cameron Swallow, with help from Frank and Barbara Hart and Barbara Schlichting.
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