McKinley High School, built in 1926, was the first high school for African American students in this part of Louisiana. The current McKinley High is in a newer facility, built in the "separate but equal" days of the 1960's. This now serves as the alumni center where there was a program today in honor of the MLK holiday. I did not attend and I did not participate in any of the volunteer efforts in honor of MLK, but DID take this photo and I did look up some of the history of African American education in Louisiana.
A side note: When we moved to Baton Rouge in 1976, schools were still largely racially segregated. McKinley High was desegregated in the 1980's, partly by adding special programs to attract white students. One of my sons graduated from McKinley High in 1993.
It takes time, but people can and do change for the better. I'm glad that even though the wheels of progress were slow, this school eventually caught up with the times. It sounds like it has a rich history in all its phases.
