| Phyllis Wheatley School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
Apopka, Florida United States | |
| Information | |
| Former name | Apopka Colored School |
| Type | Segregated public school |
| School district | Orange County Public Schools |
Phyllis Wheatley High School, previously Apopka Colored School was a school for Black children in Apopka, Florida prior to desegregation of the public schools. It is now an elementary school.
A school for Black students in Apopka began operating around 1886. [1] This school later merged with another, initially known simply as "the colored school", which began operating sometime between 1910 and 1921 in a black neighborhood known as Mead's Bottom. In its early days, only younger Black children had any opportunity to attend school, as older children were expected to work. Over time, the school added grades until it served kindergarten through 12th grade. In 1927 the school moved from its original two-story building on Central Avenue to a four-room building on 18th street. Due to overcrowding, classes and offices were housed in the hallway. The school was initially supported by private contributions. Students cooked their own meals; men from the community provided maintenance. The school was renamed in honor of Phillis Wheatley, who was kidnapped in Africa as a child and enslaved in Boston; she taught herself to read and at age 16 published what is known as the first African-American book of poetry.
In 1957, construction on a new building began. [2] In 1954, in Brown v Board, the supreme court ruled that integration of public schools must occur with "all deliberate speed". In 1962, a ruling in a case brought by parents, Ellis v. Orange County Board of Public Instruction [3] ruled that Black schools had not been given adequate funding, facilities, instructional materials, etc. - in other words, separate was not equal - and that the district must fully desegregate. [1] In 1969, Orange County Public Schools eventually responded by closing Wheatley and sent the high school students to Apopka High School. Wheatley was converted to an elementary school. The changes were opposed by a large percentage of residents of both races: 95% of Black residents wanted Wheatley to stay open, while most white residents did not want integration at all. [4] [5] As a result, over 3,000 students boycotted the schools. [6]
In 2010, the school district was recognized by the courts as having ended segregation but was additionally required to replace a group of old schools that predominantly served Black children. This construction was completed in 2018. [1]
The school's sports teams were known as the Panthers. [7] In 1958 they placed third in the national championships. [1]
The school currently has an enrollment of 403 students in grades PK-5. [8]
Phillis Wheatley Peters, also spelled Phyllis and Wheatly was an American author who is considered the first African-American author of a published book of poetry. Born in West Africa, she was kidnapped and subsequently sold into slavery at the age of seven or eight and transported to North America, where she was bought by the Wheatley family of Boston. After she learned to read and write, they encouraged her poetry when they saw her talent.
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