When you walk into the Booker T. Washington School in Staunton, Virginia, you’ll find large black and white class photos hung on the walls, along with trophy cases and banners showcasing championship wins and various student accomplishments. The building currently houses The Boys and Girls Club, so underneath the memorabilia are young kids of all races and ages, noses pressed against the glass, looking at the accomplishments and memories of those who came before them.
I’ve had the pleasure of working with the City of Staunton, doing engagement work around the community’s dreams for the future of their historic Booker T. Washington School.
For anyone who isn’t familiar with the building:
The school opened in 1936 as Booker T. Washington High School after Black parents petitioned for it, and for 30 years it was the only high school for African American students in Staunton. During segregation it was also much more than a school. It was a gathering place for Staunton's Black community, hosting social events, adult education classes, athletics and recreation, and a public library. The school closed in 1966 when Staunton integrated its public schools. The Staunton Police Department used the building from 1967 to 1986, and today it serves as the Booker T. Washington Community Center.
The last graduating class got their diplomas in 1966, and many of them are still with us today. They have created an Alumni Association in an effort to preserve the culture and legacy of the school and its former students.
As we set up for the first listening session, many people arrived early, and in groups. There were matching T-shirts, old framed photos, newspaper clippings, and friend groups that have clearly existed for decades. It was incredibly energizing right off the bat. Every Community Engagement specialist’s dream is a room full of motivated, thoughtful, and knowledgeable people’s brains to pick. Staunton really showed out that night. Over 50 people attended and shared stories that explained what the building meant to them and ideas for future use.
As I’ve reflected on the listening session, and further interviewed alumni and community leaders that were in attendance, I’ve found that so much of this work is about balance. The balance between honoring history, culture, and legacy, while also gathering ideas on how the historic building (and the meaning that lives in it) could enrich the community for future generations. It’s about the past and the future, and what must be done in the present in order to make it all connect.
And the reality is that Avi and I have stepped into something that’s been going on for almost a century, and I feel honored to be trusted as the one who gets to engage with the people connected to the Booker T. School. But, I also recognize that I am an outsider. Although we are working closely with both the West End community and the City of Staunton, the truth is that I am neither a member of the community nor an employee of the city. Being a community engagement consultant makes me the middle man. It makes my work the exact place where things can get muddy or lost in translation. That responsibility is important to me.
I have faith in the Staunton community after spending just one evening with them, and I feel called to accurately, ethically, and equitably, convey community sentiment across various stakeholder groups in order to maximize cultural impact regarding future plans for the school. Which is just a fancy way of saying…. I want to get this right for the people of Staunton.