It has been amazing to see the City of Jacksonville and other organizations recognizing African American leaders such as A.L. Lewis- Florida’s first black millionaire. Jacksonville has a rich history that is filled with impactful black men and women, who have made their mark in the areas of education, politics, food, business, religion, music, sports, health, and more. With that being said, we will be joining in on the appreciation of Jacksonville’s African American history with an eight part series.
The first organization that we will be highlighting is Stanton College Preparatory School- previously known as Stanton Normal School. Long before the modern-day iteration, Stanton Normal School served as the finest institution available to local Black students during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1869, Stanton opened its doors on 521 W. Ashley Street, and it provided educational opportunities to former slaves and free Black residents- thanks to a collaborative partnership between the federal Freedmen’s Bureau and the trustees of the locally-formed Florida Institute.
Prior to being destroyed in 1882 and 1901 by two fires, Stanton Normal School nourished the brains of leaders such as Eartha M.M. White (founder of the Clara White Mission) and James Weldon Johnson ( famed writer of the “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” hymn). These leaders were early trailblazers in the Black community, and Johnson helped lead an effort to save the school from decommission after the third building was condemned for being poorly built.
In 1917, the fourth iteration of Stanton was built by Mellon C. Greeley, and this three-story T-shaped brick building eventually became known as Old Stanton. Despite the early struggles of the school, Old Stanton housed several intellectuals and athletes, including a man who went on to known as the “World’s Fastest Human” - Bob Hayes. After serving the community and shaping the minds of multiple generations of local Black students for four decades, the modern Stanton building (New Stanton High School) was constructed on 13th Street in 1953.
Since then, New Stanton High School has become known as Stanton College Preparatory School, and it has built a reputation as the area’s best public school. In addition to this, Stanton College Prep (as it is now known to recent graduates) has consistently been recognized as one of the top #100 schools in the nation, and it is currently ranked #77.
