Alumni of All-Black Schools to Join Hall

WHEELING — What began as a family reunion of sorts in 2005 has blossomed into a full-scale historic event for alumni of West Virginia’s all-black schools.

On a snowy February day more than three years ago, several hundred alumni of all-black schools in the Mountain State gathered at West Virginia University in Morgantown where they traded stories and memories with classmates and friends — some of whom they hadn’t seen in decades. The event was spearheaded by Dana Brooks, dean of WVU’s school of Physical Education. His idea was to bring together these students whose schools were segregated until the now famous Brown vs. Board of Education lawsuit brought blacks and whites together in the classroom.

The Morgantown event was a huge success. Brooks said it was just the springboard needed to assemble ideas for bringing about proper recognition and accolades for the athletes and academic achievers among the all-black school graduates.

On April 26-27 in Charleston, the Charleston Civic Center will be the site of the first West Virginia All-Black School Sports and Academic Hall of Fame ceremony, sponsored by the Dunbar School Dr. A.J. Major Historical Education Museum Inc. in Weirton.

Among the locals to be inducted are Robert “Bob” Trice, professional baseball player for the Homestead Grays, Philadelphia Athletics and Kansas City Athletics; the Rev. William “Pops” Sims, ex-pilot and colonel in the U.S. Air Force who went on to become a neurosurgeon; and Bishop Donald Pitts, J.D., Ph.D., of Wheeling.

Pitts, who attended Lincoln School in Wheeling and Bluefield State College, said the hall of fame event serves more than one purpose. “There is a rich history that came out of the black schools in West Virginia. They sent many people on to greater and bigger things. This is a story that has not been told, but this event will be a start,” Pitts said.

The events of next weekend also will bring about more networking opportunities for those attending. “I’m very excited about it. It’s going to be very distinguished. This is the first such happening in the country. There are many other black schools in the south that are looking to do this,” he said.

Pitts will be honored for his athletic and educational achievements.

The Hall of Fame was founded on Sept. 19, 2006, to preserve the history of black education in West Virginia prior to 1954 and the lawsuit – Brown vs. Board of Education – that resulted in the demise of all black schools.

Weirton resident Helen Jackson-Gillison, president of the museum, said alumni and educators from each of the 37 schools were asked to submit the names of graduates who excelled in sports and academics to be included in this inaugural formal recognition. Until this time, there was no place or event that specifically acknowledged the accomplishments of the black students.

“This is an historic moment in time and West Virginia is at the forefront of this historical movement, the movement for the preservation of a history of the all-black schools,” Jackson-Gillison said. “West Virginia will close the gap in history that exists from the pre-Brown vs. Board of Education period.”

Jackson-Gillison said the biggest news to evolve from the process is that the state hall of fame has worked to begin formation of the National All-Black Schools Sports and Academic Hall of Fame, which will bring aboard the other 20 states that had segregated schools .

Hall of Fame inductees will be honored in one of four categories: The Lifetime Achievement Award, based on the member’s outstanding work over their lifetime; the Icons Award, for former faculty members who are still living; the Legends Award, for the pioneers in progress; and the Vanguard Legacy Honors Award, for the heirs of a member who was a leader and was at the forefront of development in their fields.

The two-day celebration begins on April 26 with free tours of memorabilia from the Hall of Fame Museum from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Charleston Civic Center. To close out the evening, a social gathering with food and music from the ’50s and’60s will be held from 6-10 p.m.

The actual Hall of Fame ceremonies will be held at 2 p.m. April 27 and will feature dinner and a program. The commentator will be Tony Brown, best-selling author, producer, educator, radio host and television commentator.

For further information or reservations, call Jackson-Gillison at 304-748-7116. She said arrangements are being made for bus transportation from the Northern Panhandle to the event in Charleston.

Jackson-Gillison said the primary goals of the Hall of Fame are to research and preserve the history of the former black schools in West Virginia; to champion the legacies of those former academic and athletic role models and leaders who have thus far gone unrecognized; and to network with the other 20 states that had segregated schools to form a National All Black Schools Sports and Academic Hall of Fame.