Rosenwald School
Lebanon, Marion County, Kentucky
Marker Inscription
Rosenwald School. This Rosenwald School (1931-1961) is one of 158 schools built in Ky., 1917-1932. The building projects were initiated by the African American community and funded with aid of Julius Rosenwald and philanthropists to provide quality education to the African American community. This effort educated over 500,000 students in the South. Presented by City of Lebanon and the Ky. African American Heritage Commission.
Erected by Kentucky Historical Society
The Story
This Rosenwald School, operating from 1931 to 1961, was one of 158 built in Kentucky during a remarkable partnership between African American communities and philanthropist Julius Rosenwald. Initiated by Black families themselves and matched with outside funding, these schools brought quality education to children long denied it under segregation. Across the South, the Rosenwald program educated more than half a million students.
Why it matters
The Rosenwald schools stand as a landmark example of community self-help and philanthropy answering the injustices of segregated education in early-twentieth-century America.
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Related people
- · Julius Rosenwald
Themes & tags
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