February 26 - March 4, 1998 page 17 A Tribute To A.H. Parker High School .H. Parker High School has maintained a stately position on 8th Avenue. This artist rendering shows a building that has since been removed, but tillihes in the hearts of thousand nh .. gained a foundation Cor success at Birmingham's oldest high school for African American student~. rker High Inspired Ca lotta Harris To Teach By Shcrrel Wheeler Stewart Harris has taught at Parker al­ vided the paint and some tools, and ted 38 years to the education of stu and went to North Carolina A&T you have push and pull, but when most every day for the past 43 years. the shop students and others rolled dents of that institution, was first in UnIversity After teachlllg in North Ihey develop a sense of prid.:, you Like thousands of alumni who have up theIr sleeves to turn the cOllages efforts to prepare BIrmingham city Carolina ahout 10 years. he returned can see the difference." attended Birmingham's most presti­ into a school. residents wilh a challenging high 10 Alabama and taught in the Bir­ Dansoy silid school pride has gious high school, Harris said, "once In 1933 news articles, Dr. A.H., school curricululn mingham school system 2H years been on or Ihe reasons for the change you havc been part of the Parker ex Parker said: "I asked the people liv­ The school has maintained ils befon: rctmng in Ihe ~chool's reputation in recent pcricnce, it will always be a part of ing in the cottages to vacote as soon reputallon over Ihe years. although I Ike Mrs. Harris, Canty ~ilid years. you" as possible. hey werc in sympathy it has struggled With some of the once you become a pan of Parkel, it "When I came 10 work here [ Parker High School was founded with us and committed readily. As same difficulties filced by other ur­ b,'comes a part of you fmever. couldn't sken some nights because as Industnal High School in 1900. soon os a coaage would be vacated, ban schools. CUllly IS part of an alumm group new~ reporter would be calling my Its mISSIOn wa, simple - the edu· the shop boys entered, took out all Industrial High outgrew the. that lIleets regularly (0 plan udivi­ hou e tn lalk about something that calion and academic preparation of the partilions. fumigated and calci­ COllages in 1919. and n Lent was tics for contlOuing the fellowship of had happened at the school:" Dansby Negro children in the BIrmingham mined the interior; then girls would erecled in the front yard of the "hool Parker friends and uppnrting Ihe aid "Today I can say tbings have Public School System. come along with brooms, mops, t andle the over!1ow. In 1920 ne- school. Par~cr also has a "United" heen quiet for a while. I am very The school opened it:; doors with scounng powders. tubs and pan. to I' t' n.' hcgan for the pre t"nt il , Ahllunl A 'SllCiatjlll') Ihal meel regu­ th,mI.IW.Ili\d prdY Ihal il conlinues." 18 tudents. But as the years pro· give the whole interior a thorough, and lit 1924 an new Inuu trial High larly and eonIIllUe._ hI upport thc Dansby las Instiluted programs gres,ed, it was not uncommon to find cleaning. School huilding was completed. scho()lthrough variet) of aClivitles. in rccent year, to increase sludenl Carlotta Harris more than 3.000 students studying al "As soon as one house was fin­ Steven Canty grauuelted from Ju ·1 last year. Ihe class of 19-13 moti vallon and to recognize all of the school on any given day. ished in this way, we moved a clans Parker in the class of 1943. He re­ dona led $1,600 to Ihe Parker High Iho.'e "ho make achievcments. When Carlolla Harris was a ,tu· Two graduation ceremonies in and began on the next vacant members still feels much of Ihat School com pUler program. The class 'Aoout three times each year we dent at Parker High St:hool in the were held each year in the early days house." spirit Dr. Parker talked about. has mude olher subslanllal donal ions hay.: a luncheon for the most im­ 19305 and early 40s, she watched of Industrial High School. Most of "When the interiors of the all "Everything about Parker was to Ihe school throughout the years, proved students. The honor students with amazement as teachers'; ,uch time Ihe number of students recei v­ the cottages were completed, and great." Canty saId. "We had a lot of Dr. Eddie Dansby, Ihe currenl arc recognized all of the time, but as Major Brown and Mrs. Mablc ing theIr diplomas at each ceremony the classes moved in the Board of activities. Our band was great. The pllncipulof Parker High School wcl­ the siudents who improve their Murphy taught studenLs the basics n:achd more than 400. Education furnished us with painl sports teams were great, and Ihe aca­ comes the support of Parker alumnI. grades from Os to Cs and Bs also and the complicated lessons of Industrial High was born of and Ihe school boys painted all of demi.:s were great too. "Its imponant for our sludents deserve some recognition and en­ mathematics. humble existence' these 14 cOllages." "There was just something to sec Ihe love and dcvotlon alumm couragelllent So they can continue, Sometimes those classes were The school started in a building "While we were building and aboul Parker that gave us the foun­ contlllue to have for Parker High he said. pa<.:ked with more thun 50 students. ncar its current site. Whcn that bUIld­ Ihus making our own schoolhouse dalion for a healthy self-esteem." he School," Dansby saId. He is in his "We have strong academics and And there were no class ing was condemned, the relocated there was built into the SPirit of the said. eighlh year as prinCIpal of the school alhletles, und we want it to con­ changes when the bell rang The from thilt building to 14 cOltages on school - spirit of strength and a pur­ "We excelled because we tried. that IS filled 10 capacity with 1150 llnue," he said "This kind of ll'achers moved from class sc<.:tU1I1 8th Avenue. AI the time, there were pose Ihat I firmly believe is the W knew w- had to succeed." Canty students. achicvemelll ha, always been a part to class section. 14 cottages on the land. The cottages foundatIon of the Institution even to said. "When students don't excel "We al\\iays talJ.. all,lut Parker of the Pal!..cr tradition." "I \~as crazy about all of my were occupied by famIlies who the present time." Parker said. now II'S usually because they do not Pride We try to instill Ihis pride The tradition is one of the rca teachers. They inspired us. And moved so that the school could con­ Industrial HIgh School, now try or have not applied thcmselves." wllhin OUI ,tudenls and get them to sons Mrs. Harris ~till teaches at Mule I sat in class. I knew I wanted tmue. known as Parker High School in Canty became a teacher. He focus on pride in themselves and in Parker nfter -l3 years. to be teach 109 at Parker one day." The school system only pro- honor of Dr Parker who commit- graduated from Parker at age of 16 their school," he said. "Sometime Parker High School History Local Educator Credits Parker High For Success Special To The World From The Records At The Parku High Schoof Learnillg Resource Cellter With The Assistallce oj Ms. Camp BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -Ask me take on ~ome responsibili. MIlton Hurst about Parker High ties," aId Hurst. DUff ng the school year of Avenue H and Fourteenth Street, School. and he swells wHh pride "The school was a nurturing 1899, some Negro cilizens nf Bir­ South. the Negro high school was like a proud papa. environment. Our teacher made mingham called a historic muss formally opened with eighteen stu­ Hurst, a retired UAB aca­ us feel as Ihough we could ac meeting. The purpose of this meel­ dents. The end of Ihe fin;t year saw demic adVIser and member of the compl ish anything. They taught ing WilS to draw up a pctllion in an enrollment of forty-live students. Parker High School Class of us black history and invited in­ which Ihe Ncgroes of this ~lly The tlurd year was marked by 1950, remembers Parker as a spirational speakers to the would request the Board of Edu­ the addition of MISS Orlean D. place where school pride flour­ SChool, and we felt we were the cation to establish a tax-supported Kennedy to the faculty. In 1904 the Ished III the minds of the students best In the counlry." school f(lr Negroes. Dr. W. R. first seDlor class, made up of fifteen and faculty despite the racial seg­ In his senior year. HurH com­ Pelliford. president of the Alabama memhcrs. grauualcd. regation of Ihe day. And it was peted in the citywide BIrming­ Penny Savings Bank, a Negro­ In 1910 Ihe school wos moved tough, no-nonsense Instructors ham News Oratnrical Contest in owned financial Inslilution, and to a three·story frame building on like English leacher Leona Reed which he w(ln u scholarship 10 Mrs. B. H. Hudson, a cashier of Eighth Avenue between Eleventh and - now Leona Pallon - and his­ Talladega College. After re<.:ei\'­ that Bank.