Page 57 - some-stuff-i-wrote-and-some-stuff-i-didn't-(2011)-h-morris-williams

Some Stuff I Wrote and Some Stuff I Didn't (2011) H. Morris Williams

t

Value of Early Black Teachers

By Morris Williams

June 19,1989

If you are a native Columbia Countian, black, and literate, you owe a

debt of gratitude to the early black teachers of this county.

Chances are they either taught you, or taught someone who taught you.

These early educators taught in small schoolhouses scattered throughout

our county.

As recently as the 1920s and 1930s, there were more than 30 of them.

Typically these schools had from one to four teachers and were all black

in racial composition.

These schools had beautiful names, some religious origin, like
Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Saint James, New Hope, True Vine, Kings

Welcome, Bethel, Enon, and Zion Hill.

Others had fascinating names like Sand Pond, County Line, Socum,

Scrubtown, Kiota, and Cat City.

Still others were named for communities still familiar to us today, like

Fort White, Columbia City, and Lulu.

But this article is more about the teachers in those schools, for it was

those teachers who were the heart and soul of the school. Outside the
home, these teachers were the greatest influences in the lives of their

children.

Richardson High School was the largest all-black school in the county

and was located in Lake City. The school had many distinguished
principals, teachers, counselors, and coaches over the years.

In the 1930s, R.R. Kenon was the Principal. On his staff were Annie
Bell Lamb, Adolphus Coulter, Vertie Williams Barrett, Annie L. Ross,

51
www.LakeCityHistory.com LCH-UUID: 644B81FB-81A1-47B2-8D77-49DC2A1A0BE8