Booker T. Washington High School: A Living History 16 views

Booker T. Washington High School stands in a class by itself in Norfolk, Virginia’s history as the city’s only standalone public high school ever opened for Black students. The school remained open during the state’s “Massive Resistance” efforts and still operates today as a desegregated school. From its inception in 1917, until Norfolk finally began desegregating their school buildings in the 1970s, Booker T. Washington High School consisted completely of Black students, parents, educators and administrators. While the demographics have shifted since then, the school still serves a predominantly Black student body. All of this makes it worthwhile to examine the legacy of Booker T. as an all-Black high school, and the ways in which this legacy has transitioned with the school as a now desegregated space. With this in mind, this critical historical study of Booker T. prioritizes oral history interviews, and the lived experiences of its Black stakeholders (parents,educators, students, administrators and the school’s neighbors), formal and informal archival materials, and case studies to present a living history of Booker T. Washington High School, exploring the school before, during and after desegregation.

PHD (Doctor of Philosophy)

Black Education; Black High Schools; Booker T. Washington High School; Norfolk, Virginia

English

All rights reserved by the author (no additional license for public reuse)

2026-07-27