A clear blue sky and comfortable light breeze embraced the crowd that had gathered at Shirley Owens Memorial Park on February 1 to honor the legacy of Shirley Owens High School with a historical marker.
Sherry Pickens, a member of the Clarke County Ballers who made the historical marker possible, proudly welcomed everyone to the event.
“Shirley Owens is in our hearts in this community, and we cherish everything about Shirley Owens,” declared Pickens. “It is dear to us that we thrive and do things to keep the legacy up. At this time, we’re looking at just doing a few things in the community. As a CC Baller organization, this is the first of many that are here to come.”
Rev. Dr. Lorenzo Carter than read a scripture and provided an invocation before allowing Quitman Mayor Steve Watkins to welcome everyone to the dedication ceremony.
“Ladies and gentlemen, honored guests, and citizens of our community, today we gather to honor a true pioneer of education and equality, Miss Shirley Owens,” proclaimed Watkins. “With the unveiling of this historical marker, we recognize not just a name, but a legacy of courage, determination, and an unwavering belief in the power of knowledge in a time when education was unjustly denied to many. Shirley Owens took it upon herself to start a school right here in Quitman, Mississippi, for children. She did not wait for permission, nor did she accept the barrier set before her. Instead, she created an opportunity where none existed, ensuring that future generations would have the tools to learn, grow, and succeed. This marker stands as a testament to her sacrifice and vision. It reminds us of the progress that we have made and the work that still lies ahead. They will continue to honor Shirley Owens’ legacy as a champion of education for all by preserving our history and building a future where knowledge remains a right, not a privilege. Let us never forget that one person can make a difference.”
After Mayor Watkins welcomed everyone, they thanked and acknowledged all the public officials who attended the dedication, including Supervisor Darrick Marshall, Supervisor Lorenzo Carter, Quitman Mayor Steve Watkins, Enterprise Mayor Steven Gunn, Shubuta Alderwoman Dora McFarland, Judge Brian McLaughlin, and Quitman Superintendent Dr. Minnie Dace.
Although Quitman Alderwoman Bridgit Peters was unable to attend the event, she did send a letter expressing her full support and appreciation for the work the organization had completed to install the historical marker at the park.
Those who attended were able to hear some of the great memories that the school held when Cleveland Williams presented what life was like at the school.
“I’m just going to mention a couple of things. Going to Shirley Owens back in 1967 was, I think, one of the greatest things I’ve ever done. Looking back, I think we had some of the best instructors that could be found anywhere. The instructors we had were like an extension of your family. Instead of just two parents, you had like three or four parents,” Williams reminisced. “Another good thing about the instructors is that they communicated with each other. They communicated because they actually wanted what was best for each student. Shirley Owens gave me the foundation to go and do what I wanted to do. We had some of the greatest teachers, and like I said, it was like having more than one sets of parents. If you did something wrong at school and got in trouble there, you already knew you were in trouble when you got home. I can remember one incident that happened at the school, and when I got home, before I got off the bus, I could see Ms. McGowan sitting on my front porch talking to my mama. The first thing you would want to do is get back on the bus and go back to the school because it would be a lot easier at the school than it is at home. The fact that they took it so seriously made us take it seriously, and that idea stuck with me all through life.”
After Williams reflected on what life was like at Shirley Owens, 1970 graduate Willie Leggett spoke about Shirley Owens and the Shirley Owens Alumni Association that was formed for anyone who had any participation at Shirley Owens to join. He provided an update on some of the things the alumni association has done.
“This past year, we gave our very first scholarship to a very deserving, academically gifted young man at Quitman High School in the amount of $1,500 to attend a school of his choice,” informed Leggett. “The scholarship application now should be available at the high school counselor’s office at Quitman High School.”
After that, everyone was able to have a little bit of the experience that the students at Shirley Owens had when former teacher at both Shirley Owens High School and Quitman High School after integration, Dorothy K. Bartee, came up and provided a very enthusiastic presentation on the project she and a group are currently working on to locate and mark all locations of black schools that were in Clarke County from 1870 and 1970. So far, they have discovered that there were 107 black schools in Clarke County in that time period, and they are trying to locate the sites for each of the schools.
Once all the history of Shirley Owens was reminisced on, it was time to unveil the sign. James Dillard, President of the Clarke County Ballers explained what the organization is and what they plan to accomplish.
“The way CC Ballers originated was because we would always meet at funerals, and I just got tired of having to meet my friends at funerals,” explained Dillard. “Mr. Ronnie Harris and George Peebles were trying to get us together as an organization, and now we have fulfilled that. Our organization is that we are reaching out and trying to help young people. We’ve been together for two years now and have established a 501c3. We’ve given out two scholarships, and we’re going to continue that trend. We want a partnership with the mayor, and whatever we can do to work together just let us know.”
He then transitioned to discussing the sign and how much work goes into making it happen. In doing so, he called up someone who was instrumental in both providing the park with a name and obtaining the sign: Mary Terrell.
“This has been an uphill battle. When I first started this project, our park was an eyesore. I went to the former mayor and asked him if we could name our park. He said that our park was named and I told him that it was just named the park. He challenged me to find a name for it,” expressed Terrell. “Every challenge I’ve had, I’ve succeeded with the help of the Ballers. I could not have done this without them. Later on, I was not asked to do the historical sign; I was told by George Peebles, James Dillard, Charles Goodwin, and let me not forget John King, told me I had to do it, so I did. The first year, there was so much paperwork. I had so much paperwork and so many news articles to go through, but I had my CC Ballers there to push me and encourage me. Thanks to the supervisors, this park was made something we can be proud of.”
After that, the sign was officially unveiled for everybody to see.
The sign reads the following:
This park was named in 2021 for the former Shirley-Owens Vocational High School established in 1948. With roots in the Pearlie Grove Church, the school was named for William Shirley, the white superintendent of Clarke County schools, and Samuel Owens, the schools black principal. A new high school opened in 1960 across the railroad from the original school. This park land served as a pathway for students attending the new school. The former Shirley-Owens High School became Quitman Junior High after integration.
