Thursday, March 31, 2011
Freedmen's Bureau - Memphis Race Riot
This is a link to the actual report on the Memphis Race Riot in 1866. http://www.freedmensbureau.com/tennessee/outrages/memphisriot.htm This is a horrifying event in American History. No one is proud if this. If you have any questions you can browse the Freedmen's Bureau website at http://www.freedmensbureau.com/tennessee/index.htm. AP Question Time! What were the causes of the Memphis Race Riot?
Presidents Island Lecture Series!
This year in AP United States History, the AP class started the Presidents Island Lecture Series. During each semester one person gave a 30 minute lecture on a historical American. The person who presented in the Fall had a helper the presented in the Winter. The lecture series was a huge success with almost 200 total people in attendance. Presidents Island Fall Lecture Series Lecture 1: Presenter - Somalia Ford Helper - Nick Wilson Date - 23 September 2010 Historical Figure - Benjamin Franklin Total Number of Guests - 17 Lecture 2: Presenter - Ashanti Pollard Helper - Tiearny Parson Date - 30 September 2010 Historical Figure - Abigail Adams Total number of People - 20 Lecture 3: Presenter - Niccarria Dent Helper - Megan Givens Date - 7 October 2010 Historical Figure - Andrew Jackson Total Number of Guests - 20 Lecture 4: Presenter - Kierica Jackson Helper - Tanisha Moore Date - 14 October 2010 Historical Figure - Sojourner Truth Total Number of Guests - 10 Lecture 5: Presenter - Anthony Hawkins Helper - Richard Duncan Date - 21 October 2010 Historical Figure - Abraham Lincoln Total Number of Guests - 18 Lecture 6: Presenter - Kedarius Austin Helper - Mahalia Logan Date - 28 October 2010 Historical Figure - Princess Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins Total Number of Guests - 12 Presidents Island Winter Lecture Series Lecture 1: Presenter - Richard Duncan Helper - Anthony Hawkins Date - 27 January 2011 Historical Figure - Henry Ford Total Number of Guests - 15 Lecture 2: Presenter - Tiearny Parson Helper - Ashanti Pollard Date - 3 February 2011 Historical Figure - W. E. B. Du Bois Total Number of Guests - 16 Lecture 3: Presenter - Megan Givens Helper - Niccarria Dent Date - 24 February 2011 Historical Figure - Rachel Carson Total Number of Guests - 25 Lecture 4: Presenter - Mahalia Logan Helper - Kedarius Austin Date - 24 February 2011 Historical Figure - Helen Keller Total Number of Guests - 16 Lecture 5: Presenter - Nick Wilson Helper - Somalia Ford Date - 3 March 2011 Historical Figure - Elvis Presley Total Number of Guests - 21 AP QUESTION TIME!!!!!!! What did you learn regerding the education of a Historical American that you can Apply to your life? Be specific.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Oral Transcripts
* Students involved in saving the Presidents Island One Room School House conducted oral history interviews on 17 May 2010 and 24 May 2010. Below are the transcripts from these interviews.
The first transcript is from 17 May 2010 and four members of the Munn family were interviewed. This interview was conducted by members of Mr. Scott's Facing History and AP U.S. History classes.
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The first transcript is from 17 May 2010 and four members of the Munn family were interviewed. This interview was conducted by members of Mr. Scott's Facing History and AP U.S. History classes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oral History Interview
Presidents Island School Alumni
Monday 17 May 2010
East High School Rm. 206
Island Life
1.) What is your name
Delorise Munn Little
Ivory Munn Woods
E.Z. Woods
Lizzie Louise Munn Banks
2.) How old are you?
Delorise Munn Little-62
Ivory Munn Woods-65
E.Z. Woods-73
Lizzie Louise Munn Banks- 59
3.) Do you currently live in Memphis?
Yes, all currently live in Memphis.
4.) Were your parents sharecroppers?
No, Grandfather George Munn was from Mississippi, he bought land at 75 cents an acre. Grandmother Pearl Munn was a Indian slave at 6 years old.
5.) What was life like for the people?
Overall, good life. Raised their own meat: ducks, turkeys. Raised their own food: corn, honey. Most people worked on farms. There were Christians of all denominations. At Christmas they got fruit for presents: plums, blackberries. Easter celebrated the same way. E.Z. went to school in church at New Hope Baptist Church.
6.) Do you know of any photographs of the island community or school?
None, the land the school was on and the cemetery are still there.
7.) What did the inhabitants of the island do for a living/ fun?
Played baseball, went swimming, fishing, horseback riding, knocked pecans out of trees.
8.) Was the Presidents island community segregated like the schools?
There were all blacks on Presidents Island.
9.) Were there white children on the island? Where did they go to school and were there interactions between black and white children?
No
10.)Where were you during the flood that destroyed the Presidents Island School?
They had to live in tents until the water went down. The Red Cross had to come out twice because of the flooding.
Presidents Island School
1.) When did you attend Presidents Island School?
All started at 6 years old. E.Z. started school in 1943
2.) Did your parents go to this school?
No
3.) How many members of your family went to this school?
All 7 brothers and sisters.
4.) Could you provide us with the specific location of this school?
On Presidents Island by church and cemetery on 130 acres of private property. Stilts still sit there.
5.) Have you ever seen a map of this community?
Skipped this question
6.) Is there anyone who could draw a map of this community?
Skipped this question
7.) What happened to Mrs. Elenora Devers? Were there other teachers?
She got sick and passed away. Mr. Bland (Teacher) Jim Ella Cotton (Supervisor)
8.) How long was the school day? What months did you go to school?
June 4- September 4. Walked to school and got out at 3:00pm. Teacher would open door to let the students know when she was there. She would ring the church bell when church was in session. They would have to walk to school in all weather: snow, rain, or heat.
9.) What subjects did they teach when you went to Presidents Island School?
Science, English, Arithmetic, each grade sat together. Advanced students taught smaller kids.
10.)Could you tell us your fondest memory of Presidents Island Schools?
Delorise Munn Little- Being with the kids
Ivory Munn Woods- everybody had to bring something to cook
E.Z. Woods- concession sale lady
Lizzie Louise Munn Banks- switching lunches with each other
11.) When did the school close?
1960s about 1965
12.) Where did the students go after the school closed?
Memphis Schools
13.) Were you still living on the island when the school was closed?
No
14.) Could you help us locate some other alumni of Presidents Island?
Yes, Delorise would pass the information on to them.
15.) What year did you leave Presidents Island?
Delorise Munn Little- about 1960
Ivory Munn Woods- 1956
E.Z. Woods- 1958
Lizzie Louise Munn Banks- about 1965-1966
Beyond Presidents Island
1.) Were things better at the new school after the island school closed?
Memphis schools were more advanced. It was better once they learned to adjust.
2.) Where did you go to school after you left the island school?
Delorise Munn Little- Manassas, Booker T. Washington
Ivory Munn Woods- Lincoln, Manassas
E.Z. Woods- finished school at 8th grade
Lizzie Louise Munn Banks- Carver, attended school in Germany
3.) Did the children from the island school go on to college?
Very few went to college. Lizzie did, Shelby State
4.) Did you experience desegregation? How?
No, they didn’t know the difference, they kept unlocked doors and slept on the porch.
5.) Since it is an industrial park today, what happened to the Presidents Island community? Where did they migrate?
Memphis
6.) When was the Presidents Island School moved to the Mid-South Fairgrounds?
No idea
7.) Do you ever go back to Presidents Island?
Yes, once a week
8.) When was the last time you saw the school?
At the fairgrounds (E.Z. at Presidents Island)
Presidents Island School Alumni
Monday 17 May 2010
East High School Rm. 206
Island Life
1.) What is your name
Delorise Munn Little
Ivory Munn Woods
E.Z. Woods
Lizzie Louise Munn Banks
2.) How old are you?
Delorise Munn Little-62
Ivory Munn Woods-65
E.Z. Woods-73
Lizzie Louise Munn Banks- 59
3.) Do you currently live in Memphis?
Yes, all currently live in Memphis.
4.) Were your parents sharecroppers?
No, Grandfather George Munn was from Mississippi, he bought land at 75 cents an acre. Grandmother Pearl Munn was a Indian slave at 6 years old.
5.) What was life like for the people?
Overall, good life. Raised their own meat: ducks, turkeys. Raised their own food: corn, honey. Most people worked on farms. There were Christians of all denominations. At Christmas they got fruit for presents: plums, blackberries. Easter celebrated the same way. E.Z. went to school in church at New Hope Baptist Church.
6.) Do you know of any photographs of the island community or school?
None, the land the school was on and the cemetery are still there.
7.) What did the inhabitants of the island do for a living/ fun?
Played baseball, went swimming, fishing, horseback riding, knocked pecans out of trees.
8.) Was the Presidents island community segregated like the schools?
There were all blacks on Presidents Island.
9.) Were there white children on the island? Where did they go to school and were there interactions between black and white children?
No
10.)Where were you during the flood that destroyed the Presidents Island School?
They had to live in tents until the water went down. The Red Cross had to come out twice because of the flooding.
Presidents Island School
1.) When did you attend Presidents Island School?
All started at 6 years old. E.Z. started school in 1943
2.) Did your parents go to this school?
No
3.) How many members of your family went to this school?
All 7 brothers and sisters.
4.) Could you provide us with the specific location of this school?
On Presidents Island by church and cemetery on 130 acres of private property. Stilts still sit there.
5.) Have you ever seen a map of this community?
Skipped this question
6.) Is there anyone who could draw a map of this community?
Skipped this question
7.) What happened to Mrs. Elenora Devers? Were there other teachers?
She got sick and passed away. Mr. Bland (Teacher) Jim Ella Cotton (Supervisor)
8.) How long was the school day? What months did you go to school?
June 4- September 4. Walked to school and got out at 3:00pm. Teacher would open door to let the students know when she was there. She would ring the church bell when church was in session. They would have to walk to school in all weather: snow, rain, or heat.
9.) What subjects did they teach when you went to Presidents Island School?
Science, English, Arithmetic, each grade sat together. Advanced students taught smaller kids.
10.)Could you tell us your fondest memory of Presidents Island Schools?
Delorise Munn Little- Being with the kids
Ivory Munn Woods- everybody had to bring something to cook
E.Z. Woods- concession sale lady
Lizzie Louise Munn Banks- switching lunches with each other
11.) When did the school close?
1960s about 1965
12.) Where did the students go after the school closed?
Memphis Schools
13.) Were you still living on the island when the school was closed?
No
14.) Could you help us locate some other alumni of Presidents Island?
Yes, Delorise would pass the information on to them.
15.) What year did you leave Presidents Island?
Delorise Munn Little- about 1960
Ivory Munn Woods- 1956
E.Z. Woods- 1958
Lizzie Louise Munn Banks- about 1965-1966
Beyond Presidents Island
1.) Were things better at the new school after the island school closed?
Memphis schools were more advanced. It was better once they learned to adjust.
2.) Where did you go to school after you left the island school?
Delorise Munn Little- Manassas, Booker T. Washington
Ivory Munn Woods- Lincoln, Manassas
E.Z. Woods- finished school at 8th grade
Lizzie Louise Munn Banks- Carver, attended school in Germany
3.) Did the children from the island school go on to college?
Very few went to college. Lizzie did, Shelby State
4.) Did you experience desegregation? How?
No, they didn’t know the difference, they kept unlocked doors and slept on the porch.
5.) Since it is an industrial park today, what happened to the Presidents Island community? Where did they migrate?
Memphis
6.) When was the Presidents Island School moved to the Mid-South Fairgrounds?
No idea
7.) Do you ever go back to Presidents Island?
Yes, once a week
8.) When was the last time you saw the school?
At the fairgrounds (E.Z. at Presidents Island)
Philosophical
1.) Did going to a One Room School give you a different outlook on life and if so – how?
It didn’t change their outlook. That was life.
2.) What were the advantages of a One Room School?
They were as fond of each other as if they were family. The purpose of going to school was to learn.
3.) What were the disadvantages of a One Room School?
The island schools were less advanced that Memphis City Schools. They didn’t
see it when they went to the Presidents Island School.
4.) Having experienced segregated schools can you give us examples of the inequalities that they caused?
The Memphis Schools were more advanced. They didn’t know any better.
5.) Why do you think that we should save the One Room School House and the memories of the events that took place there?
It is a part of their heritage
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The second transcript is from 24 May 2010. the interview of Robert Fields was conducted by Jaylyn Johnson.
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Oral History Interview
Presidents Island School Alumni
Monday 24 May 2010
East High School Rm. 206
Island Life
1.) What is your name?
Robert Lee Fields
2.) How old are you?
61
3.) Do you currently live in Memphis?
No, Southhaven, Mississippi.
4.) Were your parents sharecroppers?
They worked on a farm.
5.) What was life like for the people?
It was great; a nice time, dirt eoads, no bright lights, fewer kids. he prefers to in the country.
6.) Do you know of any photographs of the island community or school?
No photographs od school.
7.) What did the inhabitants of the island do for a living/ fun?
Work, jump fences, run, and ride horses. (started working on the field at the age of 8)
8.) Was the Presidents island community segregated like the schools?
Presidents Island School was all black
9.) Were there white children on the island? Where did they go to school and were there interactions between black and white children?
Yes, big white house they visited to play
Presidents Island School
1.) When did you attend Presidents Island School?
1955 – 1963. left in Marc of 1965 and moved to Memphis, Tennessee
2.) Did your parents go to this school?
No
3.) How many members of your family went to this school?
Brothers and sisters
4.) Could you provide us with the specific location of this school?
Way off from the main highway next to grave yard on tall stilts
5.) Have you ever seen a map of this community?
(Skipped this question)
6.) Is there anyone who could draw a map of this community?
(Skipped this question)
7.) What happened to Mrs. Elenora Devers? Were there other teachers?
She was a nice lady. She retired after he moved to Detroit. He used to visit her, she was one of the best teachers, better than teachers at carver.”you did it you got a whooping.” She died after 1970.
8.) How long was the school day? What months did you go to school?
Walked to school. It started at 8 and ened at 3. (September – May)
9.) What subjects did they teach when you went to Presidents Island School?
Science, English, Math, and History
10.)Could you tell us your fondest memory of Presidents Island Schools?
Munns, Bells got along well.
11.) When did the school close?
1963 only 3 (Lizzie, George, and Ray) closed in 1964
12.) Where did the students go after the school closed?
All went to Carver High School
13.) Were you still living on the island when the school was closed?
No
14.) Could you help us locate some other alumni of Presidents Island?
Sure, will get in touch with the Bells and the Shoolers.
15.) What year did you leave Presidents Island?
1965
Beyond Presidents Island
1.) Were things better at the new school after the island school closed?
Memphis blended in
2.) Where did you go to school after you left the island school?
Carver High School
3.) Did the children from the island school go on to college?
Don’t know if anyone went to college
4.) Did you experience desegregation? How?
Carver High Scool was all black and maybe had 3 white teachers.
5.) Since it is an industrial park today, what happened to the Presidents Island community? Where did they migrate?
Memphis
6.) When was the Presidents Island School moved to the Mid-South Fairgrounds?
No because he moved to Detroit. Used to come down and visit graveyard.
7.) Do you ever go back to Presidents Island?
1980’s last time went to Presidents Island
8.) When was the last time you saw the school?
(Skipped this question)
Philosophical
1.) Did going to a One Room School give you a different outlook on life and if so – how?
They all got along, played, learned a lot. It was all they knew. Mom and teacher taught them. They had nothing to do on Presidents Island except learn and play.
2.) What were the advantages of a One Room School?
(skipped this question).
3.) What were the disadvantages of a One Room School?
Disadvantages were no lights, no tv, no air conditioner,dirt/sand roads
4.) Having experienced segregated schools can you give us examples of the inequalities that they caused?
(skipped this question).
5.) Why do you think that we should save the One Room School House and the memories of the events that took place there?
His brother in law went to the school and mr. fields really loves Presidents Island School and wants to keep it
___________________________________________________
Question of the week:
After reviewing the transcripts are there any other questions that should be asked in future interviews?
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Think Show Exhibit
29 April 2010
Today we had a think show exhibit about our Evolution of Equality in Education project. We appreciate everyone that came to view our exhibition project amd we hope that all of you enjoyed yourselves!
Thank You...
Question of the Week:
After viewing our exhibit, what are your ideas about our relocation project?
Friday, April 16, 2010
Question of the week
Click on the following link and read the article.
As of now we do know that several Rosenwald Schools existed in Shelby County Tennessee.Our research,however, has not revealed if Julius Rosenwald had any influence in the creation of the Presidents Island One Room Schoolhouse. After reading this article, answer the following question:
- What is the legacy of Julius Rosenwald?
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Presidents Island One Room Schoolhouse
Memphis East High School is planning to move a one room school house that was once located on Presidents Island. This one room school house was a sharecropping school that had one teacher and at least 40 to 50 students, grades 1 through 8.
Our purpose is to turn this one room school house into a walk through museum on the grounds of East High School. The museum will serve as a commemoration to Sharecropper Schools, Plessy V. Ferguson, Freedmen's Burreau School, and Brown V. Board of Education.
Question of the week:
Why Should we save the one room schoolhouse?
Our purpose is to turn this one room school house into a walk through museum on the grounds of East High School. The museum will serve as a commemoration to Sharecropper Schools, Plessy V. Ferguson, Freedmen's Burreau School, and Brown V. Board of Education.
Question of the week:
Why Should we save the one room schoolhouse?
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