Booker T. Washington High School

From 1915-1974, Booker T. Washington High School served as a separate educational system for young African-Americans in Columbia, South Carolina.

From 1915-1974, Booker T. Washington High School served as a separate educational system for young African Americans in Columbia, South Carolina. The school began with elementary grades and became a standard high school in 1924. For many years, Booker T. Washington was the largest African American high school in South Carolina.

In 1956, the facilities of the school were expanded and renovated, but the 1954 decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in "Brown v. the Board of Education" that segregated schools, no matter how fine their physical plant and educational programs, were inherently unequal, led to the end of the school. When Columbia schools were integrated, the University of South Carolina absorbed Booker T. Washington School's physical plant, some of whose buildings are still in use by the University. 

Partners

Center for Civil Rights History and Research

Center for Civil Rights History and Research

The University of South Carolina Center for Civil Rights History & Research is an organization dedicated to telling and preserving South Carolina’s civil rights story. Visit the official website.