ZHHS_SOHS Desegregation
Story 4 of 5
About a year ago, Dorothy Bartee contacted us and suggested that we write a small series focusing on the former Shirley Owens and Zack Huggins schools. Since then, we have conducted research and interviews to find out what life was like for those who attended each school. Willie Leggett talked to the Shirley Owens High School Alumni Association and Mrs. Bartee and comprised the following article recounting their final year at Shirley Owens and the impact desegregation had as the two schools combined to make Quitman High School in the middle of their senior year.
In January 1970 life as we knew it at Shirley-Owens School (elementary – high school) came to an abrupt end as we, the Shirley-Owens Schools (of teachers, students, staff and family households) embarked into a new era of school education. At that moment in time, two schools were merged into one as a result of a U.S. court order of immediate school desegregation of all MS public schools.
Although the news of the pending desegregation of the schools was known to the parents, many students were really somewhat blindsided when the news was given to us. We were called to our gymnasium which served as our auditorium in December 1969. We did not have a separate auditorium as they had at ZHHS. It was during this assembly that the student body was told the news that the second semester of the school term would take place at the newly formed Quitman High School.
The Shirley-Owens High School senior class benefited from outstanding performances of both classmates and schoolmates who were teammates.
The SOHS trophy case was full of trophies that been won in competitive events in the 50s and 60s from both the fall and spring. With desegregation, however, many trophies inadvertently were destroyed or never transferred to the QHS trophy case. We not only lost the trophies but the memories and pride associated with the trophy case. However, at QHS, the trophies of ZHHS were prominently and visually displayed for all to see.
During school year 1969-70, SOHS was like and not different from other schools (both black and white) in our area. For example, prior to this historic event, immediate desegregation of all public schools in MS, there was always the presence of pride in “the Eagle Queen of Maroon and Gold” described as the unique behavior that came from being students at Shirley-Owens High School.
We had a great track team led by Marvin “Crazy Horse” Strickland and classmate George Peebles, the former President of the Shirley-Owens High School Homecoming Committee. Since 1970, the SOHS Homecoming Committee has held many memorable school reunions. In 2019, the dissolution of this committee came about when the Shirley-Owens High School Alumni Association came into existence.
The SOHS football team had a victorious season even with its rival, Southside of Heidelberg, because of both senior and outstanding underclass players. Many of the juniors and sophomores would play well with the late Coach Melvin Davis, who would become one of the assistant coaches for the first desegregated QHS football team in the fall Football season 1970-1971. Also, it was this team that brought notable recognition to QHS for winning the Sam Dale Conference Championship.
In the basketball area with the late Coach Melvin Davis, SOHS had stiff competition: southwardly, it was Riverview of Waynesboro, and northwardly it was Central High School of Stonewall/Enterprise. There was even stiffer competition for time on the basketball court among class schoolmates. Many of the senior classmates included Donald Ray “Delie” Conner, Washington McKenzie Jr., Calvin McKenzie, the late Robert “DicK”McCarty, Charles Goodwin, and the late Earnest Coleman.
Notably, the majority on the starting lineup on the first desegregated QHS team were from SOHS. The starting lineup included Donald Ray “Delie” Conner, Calvin McKenzie and Amos Thomas, along with ZHHS’ teammates Frank Buchanan and Neil May. The coaches were the late Coach Melvin Davis and Coach Loper. Also, “Delie” was offered a scholarship from MS Valley State University.
Entering the first semester of the school year 1969-1970, the SOHS senior class was representative of more than 11 years of formal education of traditional and notable experiences and citations. Included in this class profile were involvements of commencements, baccalaureate services, class nights, plays, class sponsors, homecomings, visiting bands, proms, all superior rated choirs and bands, different course offerings, passing and failing grades, school and student personalities, and many other unnamed experiences.
Musically, our choir was under the masterful direction of the late Mrs. Willye Joyce Hall Robinson, who left at the end of our junior year. She was a vocal force to be reckoned with and entertained us at all of our assemblies and choral concerts. Ms. Hall, as she was known at the time, also taught piano lessons. I was fortunate to take music lessons from Ms. Hall. My mother bought me a very expensive set of music encyclopedias. During my junior year, I placed first in both district and state competitions.
Ms. Hall left after our junior year. We had a teacher—I don’t remember his name—taught us a song called “Zoom, Golly, Golly” that we performed at one of our school assemblies. Trust me in saying that it was really embarrassing.
We were also a SOHS senior class with band director Nathaniel Guerin and outstanding band students, including Christine Jackson, Jeanie Husband, Edward Charles Bland, Keith Green, Charles Goodwin and others.
We were a SOHS senior class which strove for excellence and won in both the academic curricular and extracurricular arenas. Classmates won the 1969-1970 Homecoming Float. Maids and Queens of the Homecoming Royalty Court included Nylon (Green) McKenzie and Pearlie Joyce (Kelly) McDonald. Jackie Pope was selected as the STAR Student based on ACT scores. Jackie selected Mrs. Bartee as his STAR Teacher.
At the eighth grade level, I was the eighth grade valedictorian. I remember giving the valedictorian address and gave a speech that began with “Oh woe is me that I was picked, to stand up here and valedict.” It was corny, but I still have a copy of the speech. Mrs. Dorothy Bartee selected the speech. Although, at that time she was known as Ms. Kimbrough. Mrs. Bartee was one of the class sponsors from the seventh through twelfth grades. The other sponsors were the late Leon Kramer, the late Coach Melvin Davis, and Ms. Lois Griffith.
At Shirley-Owens, we had many clubs and organizations, including Tri-Hi Y, FHA, and FFA. We had an active student council. Members included classmate Jeanie (Husband) McDonald, who is now a former alderwoman for the Town of Shubuta, and a schoolmate, Cleveland “Bae Bae” Peebles, who is the current and Honorable Mayor of Shubuta.
In retrospect, life at Shirley-Owens was good, but in January of 1970 our lives got turned upside down. Most of us were unaware of the upcoming plans for integration and were caught off guard. Although, Jeanie told me that she was aware of what was about to happen being privy to student government knowledge.
The Class of 1970 took a senior class picture as was the custom for a graduating class. Our class motto was “OUR GOALS. WISDOM, JUSTICE, MODERATION.” In the school tradition of hanging the senior class group picture of classmates, class sponsors and class motto, the SOHS senior class of 1970 took their picture early in the first semester of 1969-1970. With desegregation in 1970, the custom of hanging the senior class picture in the school hallway became null and void.
School life did change with desegregation in the schools of the Quitman Consolidated School District with these features:
1. Name changes for all school buildings (no more personality names)
2. New grade levels in different school buildings for the senior class 1970 (Shirley Owens and Zack Huggins became QHS, and the SOHS building became Quitman High School.)
3. School colors and mascots changed from the SOHS eagle of maroon and gold to ZHHS’ panther with blue and gold.
4. An organizational structure “co -ing” of all school positions included students chairmanships, etc. This was the start of co-chairpersons, co-presidents, and co-speakers that would come in later years.
5. Transferring of teachers and their classroom materials, etc. to a designated room in a designated building
6. Although it was said that we were integrated, for the most part our classes were still segregated at QHS. We kept our same teachers and classes. With the exception of one or two classes, we did not attend class with our white counterparts. Mrs. Bartee actually taught a desegregated class in which she had some white students. The only time both black and white students came together was at study hall in the auditorium, where the boys sat on the left side and the girls on the right side. Absolutely no talking was allowed.
7. Not all teachers were transferred to their same position or equal position. In addition to Mrs. Bartee, the late Mr. Albert Nelson came to the school as an assistant principal. Mr. Nelson was a beloved and highly respected educator. Unfortunately, he died in a car crash in 1974 on the way back from a basketball game in Enterprise. Mr. C.W. Thompson, our principal and great leader, did not come to QHS. He became the truant officer of the fifth grade. Mrs. Martha Ross taught English, Mrs. Bonnie Davis (Coach Davis’ wife) taught typing, and Mrs. Corine Johnson was the librarian.
8. Not all students were given the same opportunity to compete. There was one incident in which the choir was involved, and I was one of the students called to the office. We were upset that none of the black students got to go to the district competition. We felt that Billie Jean Humphrey should have been chosen. However, for the most part we were happy to have a choir teacher.
9. As graduation time rolled around, there were five high honor students and 28 honor students. I was the only black high honor student; the rest were all white girls. We did not have valedictorians but only had high honor and honor students. I have always felt that I was deprived of an honor that I worked so hard to accomplish. There was an unconfirmed rumor that my average may have been the highest, which may account for there not being a valedictorian of the Class of 1970. I mentioned earlier that I was the eighth grade valedictorian. I remember that I had a fierce competition with Edward Charles Bland and Jackie Pope on who would be the valedictorian. Nevertheless, we didn’t have a valedictorian. At the graduation commencement services, Shirley-Owens High School was represented by Nylon Green, who gave a speech. Davis McDonald, our senior class president, was listed on the program along with Zack Huggins High School senior speaker and president.
In closing, the Class of 1970 has kept in touch. Calvin McKenzie is the current president, and I’m the vice-president. We have had several anniversary reunions over the years since graduation, including our 40th Anniversary Reunion and our 50th Anniversary Reunion. We were planning our 50th Anniversary in 2020, but Covid 19 derailed those plans. We are now planning our 52nd Anniversary Reunion in 2022.
Since graduation, the Class of 1970 has coined the phrase “The Alpha-Omega Class – The First Senior Class at QHS and the Last Senior Class at SOHS.” The Class of 1970 has earned another historic distinction, and perhaps we should be called “The Historic Class of 1970.”
The Shirley-Owens High School Alumni Association, in which I serve as president, held a reunion in 2019 when we formed. We also had to cancel plans for our annual reunion in 2020 and 2021 due once again to the coronavirus. We are extremely optimistic that we will sponsor an “All Classes Reunion” in 2022.
We have held true to our high school song “Hail to thee dear Shirley-Owens, the school we love so well. We will ever tell the story that you have us tell. We will fight for the Maroon and Gold. Eagles we will always be. Let us pledge ourselves to none other but Shirley-Owens High School”
Finally and hopefully, this prospective has shown and brought the realization that both Shirley-Owens High School and Zack Huggins High School did exist and will forever live on in our hearts and memories. Although both schools went from two schools to one, the alumni have become the fruit of America. From the root of seeds that were germinated at Shirley-Owens High School and Zach Huggins and now at Quitman High School, we are one.
I would like to personally thank all that contributed to this article: Mrs. Dorothy Kimbrough Bartee, Calvin McKenzie, Washington McKenzie, Nylon McKenzie, George Peebles, Jeanie Husband, and especially Brittney Mangum and the staff of the Clarke County Tribune.
