WAKULLA COUNTY, FL — Wakulla County is asking for public input on what to do with a more than 20-acre property that was once the only high school for African Americans in the county.
Shadeville High School was established in 1931 and served African American students in Wakulla County through the late 1960s. The property was transferred to the county from the school board earlier this year.
That history is meaningful to many in the African American community in Wakulla County, as there are still people who remember it as their school. Members of the Wakulla County Christian Coalition say the buildings on the property should be preserved.
"A place like this is important if you really understand African American history, and I'm talking about pre-Jim Crow, all of that. Where we went from, you're not allowed to read, right, it's illegal to read a book, to having an institution that taught us to read, having an institution that taught us mathematics, having an institution that taught us how to pull ourselves up, how to be productive members of the American society, and that is what this kind of stands for," said Damon Rich.
The county has indicated interest in expanding recreation facilities on the property.
The county is accepting all feedback through May 29th. You can submit your feedback HERE.
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