red river sankofa project

Caddo Parish Rural Schools

The following excerpt was taken from On the Black Side of Shreveport: A History by Willie Burton.

"Rural schools were particularly distressful. Most of the schools were held in one-room church buildings with kerosene lamps for lighting, wood burning stoves for heating, benches for desks and no blackboards. Restrooms facilities were outside privies; water came from wells, cisterns, barrels or pumps. Lessons were written on paper and pinned to the wall. In addition to these hardships, rural schools opened 30 to 60 days (October or November) later than city schools and were generally in session only three to five months, and many city students left the city during planting and harvesting times to live on plantations and work for money for their livelihood.

It was long walk for many students who attended rural schools. This walk was made more difficult because the school sessions were held generally during the coldest and wettest seasons of the year. But the desire to attend overshadowed the hardships.

Many of them trudged among sloppy muddy roads with syrup bucket lunch pails filled with fat-back, molasses, biscuits and butter "sandwiches" sweet potatoes, or similar types of lunches that would be eaten on the benches during lunch time. No lunchrooms or prepared lunches existed.

Although the supervision of these schools was under the control of the parish, the upkeep of the physical plant and in some cases, teachers' salaries of $25 to $40 a month, came from the members of the community. Teachers were often paid in goods received from the family's storehouse, cakewalks, suppers (families would take turns providing support for teachers), reclamation (waste land made fit for cultivation), or even an occasional dance.

The existence of so many of these these one-room schools in Caddo Parish and throughout the south exemplifies the desire of these rural people to make sure that their children received at least the fundamentals of an education. At least they could complete the fifth or eighth grade, even though the schools were not accredited by the state."

Not all of the schools listed below existed as one room dwellings. Many of them rallied & campaigned long battles for funding and adequate space. If you have any historical information on the schools below, please send an email to info at redriversankofa dot org.

Excerpt taken from:
Burton, W. (1993). On the Black Side of Shreveport: A History (2nd edition.).

Herndon School History (Part I)

The late Joseph H. Herndon, a negro man, born March 19, 1840 in Gilliam, Louisiana, gave a monetary donation in the amount of $12,000 to the Caddo Parish School Board to be used for more negro schools in the northern area. C.E. Byrd was superintendent of Caddo Parish Schools at the time this donation was given. Joseph H. Herndon allocated this money before his death, on November 25, 1924. This donation was bequeathed to Caddo Parish School Board in 1926 by E. B. Herndon Jr., executor of Joseph H. Herndon's estate. His contribution and his strong belief in education made a great difference in the lives of many children, black and white.

Joseph became wealthy from an inheritance from parents, John Frederick & Lue Patsy Herndon. His parents accumulated their wealth from various investments in real estate, farming cotton, the gold rush and oil located on their properties. Joseph H. Herndon continued his parents legacy of prosperity by making profitable investments. In 1919, he purchased a substanial amount of U.S. Bonds well over $100,000 and also financially supported the establishment of first bank in Vivian, Louisiana. Suffice it to say, Herndon High School, which is now Herndon Magnet School, was named after a great legend. He will always bare a remembrance amongst us all. We can really appreciate great men like Joseph H. Herndon, who gave worthy contribution to society. He was a man of wealth, living very modestly in a small community in Pine Island, between Vivian and Gilliam, Louisiana in a wood frame house, wearing patches on his pants and walking on a kitchen floor made of clay dirt. In 1922 or 1923 he built a brick home in Texarkana and resided there until his death in 1924. He is buried in Rodessa, Louisiana in Sugar Hill, Tyson Cemetery.

Herndon School History Part II

David Tyson, a strong advocate of education & and nephew of Joseph H. Herndon, stepped out on faith to support the need for a Negro high school in the northern area of Caddo parish. David was quick to point out that it was time out for the two room schools in the area and the community needed a high school located between Shreveport, Arkansas, and the Texas lines. David, better known as Dave Tyson of Mira, Louisiana, put his faith to the test and armed with his uncle, Joseph H. Herndon, seed money contacted the Caddo Parish School Board and began discussions with board member, C.H. McEachern of Vivian, Louisiana. David also requested that the school be named David Herndon High School in recognition of his family's contributions and commitment to education. In 1948 David Tyson also offered to give the Caddo Parish School Board 10 acres of his personal property, located in Pine Island to build a high school for Negroes, on Clyde Place Road, between Gilliam and Vivian. He also offered the option to lease twenty more acres for the agriculture department provided a stipulation that all buildings and properties be returned back to the rightful owner if the school for any reason would ever close.

This property was offered along with the money already donated from his uncle and yet the Caddo Parish School Board, for unknown reasons, voted against the proposal. After David Tyson's offer was declined he still continued to make his dream a reality and fought diligently for a total of thirty years before his accomplishment was completed. When the high school was finally completed, they named it Gamm High School. Mr. Tyson read this in the Shreveport Times and immediately went to Vivian, Louisiana to inform C. H. McEachern that if Caddo Parish School Board did not change the name to Herndon High School, he would bring forth a law suit. After meeting with C.H. McEachern the school was immediately renamed, David Herndon High School. According to Mr. Roosevelt Shields, the name "David" was later deleted from the school name due to a conflict with the the lyrics of the school song.

Submitted by Dwight Tucker, great, grandson of Joseph H. Herndon

Herndon High School Roster
Sally Adams 1964 - 1967
Douglas Adger 1958 - 1962
Terrell Adger 1956 - 1966
Tommy Adger 1965 - 1969
Valta Adger 1964 - 1968
Henry Adley 1958 - 1966
Charles Allen 1963 - 1967
Bettie Anderson 1956 - 1960
Robert Anderson 1963 - 1968
Roy Anderson 1966 - 1970
Vairzora Anderson 1965 - 1969
Willie Mae Anderson 1961 - 1965
Hattie Armstead 1962 - 1966
Elizabeth Armstrong 1963 - 1966
Betty Baisley 1958 - 1964
Mary Baisley 1961 - 1966
Charles Baker 1966 - 1970
Harvey Baker 1959 - 1970
Gloria Beard 1962 - 1966
Charles Boxley 1969 - 1970
Violet Boxley 1964 - 1968
Cora Braden 1960 - 1970
Betty Bradford 1966 - 1970
Don Bradford 1962 - 1966
Janie Bradford 1964 - 1968
Sebrun Bradford 1957 - 1961
William Bradford 1959 - 1963
Semmie D Buffin 1968 - 1972
Oscar Campbell 1959 - 1963
Delores Carey 1963 - 1967
James Carter 1955 - 1959
Ladybe Carter 1960 - 1965
Johnny Choyce 1967 - 1970
Linda Clark 1962 - 1966
Joseph Coleman 1957 - 1961
Ronny Collins 1963 - 1965
Roy Courtney 1962 - 1966
Glender Daniaels 1960 - 1969
Lewis Davenport 1960 - 1964
Lewis Dennis 1966 - 1970
Lewis Dennis 1957 - 1969
Cari Densmore 1983 - 1984
Laura Dixon 1965 - 1969
Leola Dixon 1955 - 1959
Nettie Doss 1958 - 1962
Nettie Doss 1960 - 1964
Doris Ford 1965 - 1969
Jerry Fugler 1976 - 1980
Ben Fuller 1957 - 1963
Bobbie Gatterson 1954 - 1958
Eunice Gay 1954 - 1958
Nancy Gay 1963 - 1967
Barbara Gibson 1968 - 1970
Shirley Gipson 1965 - 1969
Wilmer Godfrey 1958 - 1962
Larry Hall 1961 - 1965
Charles Harper 1960 - 1970
Joyce Hatten 1962 - 1966
Jerry Holden 1956 - 1968
Asha Hollingsworth 1991 - 1995
Sallie Holmes 1966 - 1970
Clarence Howard 1961 - 1965
Verta Howard 1965 - 1969
Deloris Hudson 1964 - 1968
Bessie Jackson 1959 - 1970
Betty Jackson 1966 - 1975
John James 1962 - 1966
Freddie Jefferson 1961 - 1965
Gloria Jefferson 1963 - 1967
Webb Jenkins 1956 - 1960
Ann Johnson 1964 - 1968
Clara Johnson 1961 - 1965
Joyce Johnson 1962 - 1966
Herise Jones 1960 - 1964
Katie Kelly 1963 - 1967
Billy Knox 1962 - 1966
Howard Knox 1956 - 1960
Bobbie Lacy 1954 - 1958
Marguerite Lane 1959 - 1963
Arthur Larry 1963 - 1967
Bobbie Larry 1961 - 1965
della Larry 1965 - 1969
Ruthie Larry 1962 - 1966
Joyce M Lawrence 1965 - 1969
Clarice Lee 1964 - 1968
Joe Lee 1961 - 1965
Linda Lee 1965 - 1969
Eddie Lewis 1959 - 1963
Harrison Lewis 1982 - 1988
Mary Lewis 1959 - 1963
Cleveland Maiden 1955 - 1959
Alice Maple 1966 - 1970
Walter Mcbride 1956 - 1968
Jimmy McCauley 1964 - 1968
Leonard McCulloch 1954 - 1958
Margaret Miller 1964 - 1968
Ada Millings 1960 - 1964
Earl Monroe 1967 - 1970
Gloria Monroe 1963 - 1967
Maggie Mosley 1959 - 1969
Linda Nwoke 1962 - 1966
Arthur Pamplin 1959 - 1963
Bertha Pamplin 1966 - 1970
Dennis Patterson 1959 - 1963
Annie Rattler 1962 - 1966
Thomas Roberson 1964 - 1968
Foster Robinson 1966 - 1970
Charles Smith 1965 - 1969
Goldie Southall 1957 - 1961
Earl Stephens 1958 - 1962
Johnetta Stephens 1956 - 1963
Matthew Stroy 1955 - 1959
Eddie Swift 1956 - 1965
Taylor Taylor 1965 - 1969
Dorothy Thomas 1962 - 1966
Ed Thomas 1956 - 1960
Lonnie Thomas 1960 - 1964
Louise Thomas 1965 - 1970
Veronica Thomas 1966 - 1969
Willie Thomas 1962 - 1966
Richard Thompson 1962 - 1966
Barbara Jean Washington 1970 - 1971
Don Washington 1962 - 1966
Margaret Watson 1963 - 1967
Effie Wilbert 1962 - 1966
Betty Williams 1965 - 1969
Doris Williams 1964 - 1968
Eddnora Williams 1964 - 1968
Wilbert Williams 1964 - 1968
Willie Winston 1961 - 1965
Wendy Woodard 1965 - 1968

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