SHS NAACP

06/18/2026

06/18/2026

We apologize for the cancellation of our featured Juneteenth event, 'FROM CHAINS-TO-CHANGE CIVIL RIGHTS WALKING TOUR OF WASHINGTON'.
The weather forecast is predicting rain throughout Friday morning June 19th. As the walking tour features 25 historical signs placed at locations in the Black Community that highlight that history such as the first Medical Manufacturing Business in the early 1900, the first Black Employment Agency, the Black Businesses on Main Street before the Civil War, the first Black Lawyer in Washington in the early 1900's, the first Black movie house in Washington (it wasn't the Lenox built in 1947), Resurrection City, the Washington Black Civic League, locations that hosted Civil Rights meetings of the 1960's and 70's. the Starlight Club mentioned in the Green Book in the 1950's and so much more! We cannot place the signage out in rainy weather, and we want our tour attendees to be comfortable and safe. We hope to re-schedule as soon as possible.

06/06/2026

Congratulations to our Student NAACP grads!! So proud of all you’ve done this year and can’t wait to learn about your future endeavors 🖤💛♥️💚

04/17/2026

We were delighted to welcome Amy Nathan, author of “Riding Into History” today. She taught us about brave Washington native Sarah Keys Evans and her impact on the civil rights movement.

03/19/2026

It was a beautiful day for a trip to Edenton, NC. The Black history walking tour was informative and students had a great debrief discussion when we got back to school! Thank you NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources for making this trip possible 📚
North Carolina Culture

03/18/2026

Extra! Extra! Thanks for covering our students Washington Daily News 📰

03/07/2026

100 Years Black History was the theme of our art contest. We have a wonderful group of students celebrating this year’s milestone! 👏🏻👏🏼👏🏽👏🏾👏🏿

02/26/2026

Thanks to Beaufort County Community College and Rosenwald School scholars for a chance to learn about local history and the impact of education during Jim Crow. This was a wonderful experience!

02/06/2026

Looking forward to our students learning more about Washington’s Underground Railroad history later this month. 📚

Did you know enslaved people used nursey rhymes to convey a hidden message? They would hear children singing or saying a nursery rhyme, or perhaps an adult told the nursey rhyme to children to entertain them. An enslaved person could say the same rhyme but give it a 'hidden meaning.' This was the case with Jack who evaded capture here in Washington. To say "Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jump over the candle stick" was a code to convey or symbolize Jack's (or some other freedom seeker's) bravery, skill, brilliance and quick thinking that helped him escape danger or evade his captors or the law. Jack escaped in April of 1827.
The poem Jack Be Nimble was published around 1798, it was probably written before that date.

We need to realize these stories from the local underground railroad are no myths. After emancipation, the formerly enslaved from Elmwood Plantation, Cedar Grove Plantation (now Washington Park) and Rosedale Plantation lived in Washington, especially those on Elmwood Plantation who made their homes along Second and Gladden streets. Elmwood's Slaves Quarters were on Second and third Streets between Washington Street and Hackney Avenue. One of the formerly enslaved, Miss Diana Steward 1833-1929 lived at Second and Gladden Street. Many stories of plantation life were passed on by people like her. I have spent over 20 years tracking down these old stories and finding the documentation that will collaborate the stories.

01/19/2026

The theme of the memorial service was “Pursuing the Dream... and Keeping Hope Alive,” a sentiment echoed by the multiple speakers.