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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1523 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1523

 Recognizing the 100th anniversary of Booker T. Washington High School 
                          in Atlanta, Georgia.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 27, 2024

 Ms. Williams of Georgia (for herself, Mr. David Scott of Georgia, Mr. 
 Bishop of Georgia, and Mr. Carter of Georgia) submitted the following 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the 
                               Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 Recognizing the 100th anniversary of Booker T. Washington High School 
                          in Atlanta, Georgia.

Whereas, when it was constructed in 1924, Booker T. Washington High School 
        became the first public high school for Black students in Atlanta;
Whereas Booker T. Washington High School remained the only public Black high 
        school in the city until 1947;
Whereas public education had existed in Atlanta since 1872, and the lack of 
        school buildings for Black students was purposefully designed to block 
        access to education for Black individuals;
Whereas Atlanta's Black community fought for the right to a public education, 
        helping to pass school bond referendums in 1903 and 1910 with the 
        promise that the funds raised would be used to build a Black high 
        school;
Whereas no such school was constructed following the passage of either 
        referendum;
Whereas, in 1919, the NAACP and Black community leaders conducted a successful 
        voter registration drive, and newly registered Black voters used their 
        newfound political power to defeat a new school bond referendum;
Whereas Black voters, having demonstrated their political might, helped pass a 
        school bond referendum in 1921 based on the promise that the funds would 
        be used to build Black schools;
Whereas the school board pledged $1,290,000 for the construction of Black 
        schools following the 1921 referendum;
Whereas construction was completed on January 29, 1924, and the first public 
        Black high school in Atlanta opened on September 8, 1924;
Whereas the school was fittingly named after Booker T. Washington, the revered 
        leader and educator;
Whereas Booker T. Washington High School initially offered standard high school 
        academic subjects and vocational training;
Whereas the first principal of Booker T. Washington High School, Charles L. 
        Harper, and his dedicated faculty, set high expectations for their 
        students and supplemented their education by leading educational tours, 
        creating athletics, music, and drama programs, and erecting a statue of 
        Booker T. Washington at the front of the school;
Whereas Black students from across the State of Georgia attended Booker T. 
        Washington High School because of the quality of the education it 
        provided and the lack of educational opportunities elsewhere in the 
        State;
Whereas Booker T. Washington High School quickly became a cornerstone of 
        Atlanta's Black community;
Whereas, throughout the years, Booker T. Washington High School has continued to 
        serve as a beacon of light in the community, serving as a meeting space 
        for alumni groups, community and civic organizations, and high school, 
        collegiate, and semiprofessional sports leagues;
Whereas Graham W. Jackson became the school's first band director in 1928 and 
        built the Booker T. Washington High School band into one of the finest 
        high school music programs in the country;
Whereas the Booker T. Washington High School marching band has received numerous 
        honors, including three Certificates of Merit from Atlanta's mayors, and 
        has performed on some of the biggest stages in Atlanta and across the 
        country;
Whereas the school's marching band became the first high school marching band to 
        perform on national television during the 1969 Coaches All-America Game, 
        has also performed during Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta Hawks halftime 
        shows and the 1988 Democratic National Convention, and has been featured 
        in the films ``School Daze'' and ``Drumline'';
Whereas visitors to Booker T. Washington High School include Archbishop Desmond 
        Tutu, activist Jesse Jackson, civil rights icon Rosa Parks, and 
        President George W. Bush;
Whereas alumni of Booker T. Washington High School have gone on to achieve great 
        success and include--

    (1) civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.;

    (2) Judge Romae T. Powell;

    (3) surgeon Dr. Asa Yancey;

    (4) former Secretary for Health and Human Services Dr. Louis Sullivan;

    (5) Georgia State Legislator ``Able'' Mable Thomas; and

    (6) educator Dr. Pearlie Craft Dove;

Whereas, in 1986, Booker T. Washington High School was placed on the National 
        Register of Historic Places, recognizing the school's historic, 
        cultural, architectural, and artistic value; and
Whereas, on September 16, 2024, Booker T. Washington High School and the broader 
        Atlanta community gathered at Atlanta City Hall to celebrate the 100th 
        anniversary of the school's opening, and additional celebrations will 
        take place throughout the school year: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the 100th anniversary of Booker T. 
        Washington High School's opening;
            (2) applauds the determination, perseverance, and political 
        savvy of the Atlanta Black community in organizing to ensure 
        that funds were provided to construct a Black public high 
        school;
            (3) celebrates the historic, educational, and cultural 
        impact that Booker T. Washington High School and its alumni 
        have had on Atlanta, Georgia, the United States, and the world; 
        and
            (4) calls on Booker T. Washington High School's current 
        students, teachers, and administrators to continue striving for 
        greatness.
                                 <all>
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