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Ligon High School was a beloved school and center of the African American community. By capturing its past we hope to guide the future of Ligon to continue its commitment to excellence and the community.
The public exposition was important for establishing firm links between the alumni, students, and their parents. The current student population is far more diverse than that of Ligon High School, so documenting the school's history has been for all an education in a formerly 'invisible' history. Our hope is that by documenting this rich history it will be preserved and shared. We hope that students at Ligon GT Magnet Middle School will come to appreciate the rich heritage that is theirs as a student of this school. By continued association with the alumni we hope students will learn to value education. The alumni serve as excellent role models who have lived constructive lives and have made many positive contributions to society. Their aspirations were founded at Ligon. We hope they will inspire current students to want to make a positive impact on the world.
The project's second phase will include development of additional GIS
applications, web archives, oral histories, architectural preservation,
dendrochronology, and
will add public history interpretation and preservation. These
"real world" applications are intended to deepen community collaboration.
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The Principal desires to connect the middle school to the Ligon High School alumni. His original interest was in a database on the Internet that would provide email addresses so alumni could keep in touch with each other. He also dreamed of honoring graduates who were veterans killed in service of our country with a memorial on campus. Intrigued by the alumni's interest and archives, he became involved in this project. Unlike his predecessors, this principal has committed school space for permanent exhibits of the Historic Black High School history. His willingness attracted the participation of an archivist from an Historic Black College with an interest in establishing just such exhibits. Seeing the potential of both virtual web archives and actual exhibits, the principal became a key supporter in further development of the project. Some of the exhibits will be designed as traveling exhibits for other public spaces in the community. |
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Governor Jim Hunt, who was on hand for the exposition, speaks with the principal and the journalism teacher. He volunteers weekly at the school. We hope that information shared through this project will positively influence the way students, parents, political leaders, and the community at large view the legacy of Ligon and its potential future contributions. |
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