Ralph Bunche
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Ralph Bunche was an African-American school in Woodbine.
History
Ralph Bunche some origins at Camden County Training, a school located in St. Marys.
Camden County Training operated partially as a boarding school[1] and was said to be the only black high school in the county.[2]
In late 1946, local black residents requested a high school for black students in the Woodbine, Scarlett and Colesburg areas.[2] Citizens said they had picked out a four-acre tract of land and the Camden County Board of Education told them to go ahead with the purchase and promised to do what they could for remedying the situation.[2]
Plans for a new high school were accepted in December 1950 for a school to be built at Woodbine,[3] with bids to be accepted in March 1951.[4]
Just before construction started, on March 6, 1951, five individuals launched a lawsuit against the county board of education asking for equal facilities.[5] The suit alleged that the county offered no junior or senior high facilities for black residents[5] (in 1946, one was listed at Camden County Training). Though the suit was dismissed at the request of the plaintiffs in June 1951 (the plaintiffs were not locals nor parents of students in the school system),[6] it seems to have spurred the county into further action. In late July 1951, work began on upgrading African-American schools around the county, including the elementary at St. Marys and new brick classrooms for Kingsland Union elementary.[7]
The new high school opened in November 1951[8] with 14 classrooms, a library, a home economics room and a laboratory. It was listed in the Camden County Tribune as Camden County Negro Consolidated High School,[8] though it is unknown if the name was official. By the 1952-53 school year, it was known as Ralph Bunche.[9]
After total integration in 1970, Bunche was converted to a junior high,[10] but only for a single school year.[11] In 1971, a new Camden County High opened in St. Marys (moving from Woodbine) and county schools were restructured.
Football
Ralph Bunche began football in 1954, playing in the Georgia Interscholastic Association. The Hornets reached the 1958 Class A semifinals (losing to Bryant, 15-6) and 1959 (falling to Douglass of Thomasville, 22-0) before winning the title in 1960. Ralph Bunche defeated Henry County Training in the championship game, 45-2.
References
- ↑ The Southeast Georgian, August 7, 1947
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Southeast Georgian, November 7, 1946
- ↑ Camden County Tribune, December 29, 1950
- ↑ Camden County Tribune, March 2, 1951
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Camden County Tribune, March 9, 1951
- ↑ Camden County Tribune, June 15, 1951
- ↑ Camden County Tribune, August 3, 1951
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Camden County Tribune, November 30, 1951
- ↑ Georgia Educational Directory, 1952-53
- ↑ Georgia Educational Directory, 1970-71
- ↑ Georgia Educational Directory, 1971-72