Alumni experienced a week of memories for those who attended Lincoln Memorial High School in Palmetto.
There was a grand reunion of the students who attended the school, which served black students. Its last graduating class in 1969 included County Commission chairwoman Dr. Gwendolyn Brown. After that, the students went to Manatee High School, though it wasn't a smooth process.
At a County Commission meeting, a proclamation declaring Dec. 14 to 20, 2009 as Lincoln Memorial High School Alumnus Week was read. Brown joked that she had told one of the leaders of the reunion, Judge Charles Williams, that she would gladly give a proclamation to the alumni, but not to a graduate of St. Petersburg High School.
“It just does not exist in Manatee County,” she said. “But I am happy and thrilled with what he and Judge (Durand) Adams have done these last few months.”
G.D. Rogers had bought a tract of land for the first school for black children in Bradenton, and that school eventually became Lincoln High School. It merged with Memorial High School in 1948 and became Lincoln Memorial High School. Its first graduating class had one student.
Donald (Moody) Johnson of Palmetto said Lincoln was where his generation learned their values, discipline and direction with the guidance of teachers, administrators and parents.
The week long celebration culminated on Sunday, Dec. 20, with the showing of “Through the Tunnel,” a documentary about the school.
“Mr. Charles Clapsaddle at METV and his band of merry men and women have done a marvelous job – along with the honorable Judge Williams and the honorable retired Judge Adams – in working on this project to present on the 20th of December at Neel Auditorium” at 2:30 p.m. at State College of Florida, Donald Johnson continued. "It's about the transition from segregation to integration as seen through the eyes of the Trojans at the school."
The first three blacks to integrate Manatee Junior College were also honored. . . Moody Johnson stated, "The tunnel is significant," . . . “For those that travel on U.S. Highway 41 in Palmetto, when you get to Lincoln Middle School, some of you don't realize that there's a tunnel underneath that road.”
Players would go through the tunnel to play football at the field on Friday nights. “We would have trains literally stop on the tracks to watch Trojans play,” Moody continued.
“A few years ago we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Brown vs. Board of Education decision with a grand presentation at Neel Auditorium,” Williams said. “Judge Adams and I decided to put on this documentary celebrating the legacy of Lincoln Memorial High School. The timing was perfect for the premiere of this documentary, basically hand in hand with this reunion.”
Gwen McElroy, registrar at Lincoln Middle School, said Williams has been mentoring the children, and Adams' son was at Lincoln Middle.”
“You can't imagine how much work went into this documentary,” she said. “Commissioners Gwen Brown and I are from the last graduating class of 1969, and I just want to say, on behalf of the class of 1969, happy birthday, we love, and we are truly proud of our commissioner.”
Brown said that the emotions were not as high as they were in years past at football games. “The emotion was very high at Lincoln High School and the community was very supportive,” she said.
The idea and concept of pride and who you are was strongly pushed, Brown noted, adding that she's very upset to see young men killing themselves and others for nothing, and hopes that those working in the community will help youths make the right choices. That pride still lives.
“We will continue to be sons of thunder, we will not go under, Trojans, Trojans, on to victory,” Johnson said.
Editors Note:
Some of the teachers in attendance were Jim Lang, biology teacher Ted Tillis, English teacher Pops Brown, Coach Eddie Shannon and others.
Past Band Directors were B.C.Pratt, Norman Middleton, Sr., and Maxie Bragg (who became the director later) were also a big part of the Lincoln experience. I remember marching off the field when quarterback Robert Hamilton ran a one hundred yard touchdown to win a game in Bartow, Florida. We didn't play the usual School Song at the end. When we got on the school bus a crowd with chains and clubs tried it push it over, fortunately the bus had started to move.
I also remember the ever present "water boy " Cornelius Jackson whose father owned a "mom and pop"
store one street over from Lincoln where we all went to play the juke box and dance after the games. Those were the
days.
I fondly remember the many sock hops in the gymnasium where I performed with my brother's (Al Cotton) band. Some of the band members were Norman Harden (deceased), Larry Newsome (awesome saxophone and vocals), the Nickle and the Five Pennies (vocals a la James Brown), Eugene Armstrong trumpet, Frazier bari sax, Carl Middleton, and my brother-in-law Lamar Beckom (later played trumpet with Blood, Sweat and Tears.) We also had an awesome guitarist but his name escapes me.
Some of the Lincoln Band members were: Peggy Yvonne Ward, Johncyna Williams (McRae), Mary Cotton (Marshall), Leah McCrae (Woodson), Eugene Armstrong, Charles Armstrong, Al Cotton, Charles Spencer, Rudolph Presha, Adrian Harris (Thompson) Brenda Huggins (Heggs), Carl Middleton, Marvin Clemmons, Annette Pearson , Bernice Gundy, Norman Harden, Joyce Green, Grady Miller, Thena Monts, Beryl Mosley, Donald Newell, Larry Newsome, Floyd Roundtree, and many, many others.
Last
but not least, the Junior and Senior Choir was another "fraternal" experience with many stories. Mrs. Miinnis, Atkins, and Mr. Gentle Casey whose expertise produced an
all-conference choir. His niece who was also a choir member Carmen Mathis went
on to become an off broadway actress and producer.
There will always be a loving bond within those of us who attended Lincoln Memorial High School.
