Community members want to preserve Whittemore Elementary School, remnant of SC segregation

Hail, Hail, to thee, our dear alma mater,

For loyalty, we will cherish thee.

Purple and Gold, O may they ever wave

O’er all the land where Whit-te-more High

School stands

O’er all the land where Whit-te-more High

School stands.

Whittemore School Alma Mater

I recently spoke before the Conway City Council on behalf of the Whittemore Racepath Historical Society and the former students and staff of Whittemore Elementary School as well as their family, friends, and others who are part of the Whittemore Diaspora.

We wanted to demonstrate our willingness to partner with the city of Conway in the revitalization of the Whittemore Elementary School.

Contrary to appearances, when we see dear old Whittemore, we see life because we are a resurrection people.

We see the sacred grounds upon which our elders trod to provide us with a wonderful education and a beautiful start to productive family lives and responsible citizenship.

We see and hear spelling bees, choir concerts, and maypoles being wrapped.

We see the smiling, sweat drenched lunch room ladies and smell the wonderful foods that they had prepared to nourish our bodies and to lift our spirits.

We hear the melodious voice of Mrs. A’la Pearl Hickman, our beloved principal; the booming voice of Mr. Brewster Mention, the only male teacher in the building; and the commanding voice of our music teacher, Mrs. C. C. Bellamy.

When we see, hear, smell, taste, and feel the essence of WES, we don’t see demolition. We don’t see death. We don’t see destruction.

We see life. We see a future. We see possibilities of collaboration with the city which will enhance the lives of all our people.

WES is the historical embodiment of equalization schools built in the early 1950s to defy efforts to integrate public schools.

These schools were underfunded, the teachers were paid one-third of what white teachers were paid, and yet they produced some of the most intelligent, well-educated people in our state and our nation.

We should not forget that.

For us to destroy this school, is to wipe out its existence, its excellence, and its very essence. WES is the essence of who we all were, who we all are, and who we all can become.

“The Historic Rivertown” needs to reexamine its essence and determine how it wants to be remembered.

We are inviting the members of the City Council to “come, let us reason together” around the future of the building and the implementation of the plans of 2017.

We believe that there are other alternatives to the complete demolition of the building.

We believe that there are resources available to municipalities, universities, communities and organizations such as ours which have yet to be explored.

We believe that we can save our school through an asset-based community development model, which honors the lives of our elders, respects the achievements of all citizens, and envisions an equitable future for all of our children.

We should not forget the pledge that we made as elementary school-aged children when we memorized and belted out the words to the high school alma mater: WE WILL CHERISH THEE!

Reverend Cheryl Moore Adamson is president of the Whittemore Racepath Historical Society, Inc.