2020-737-E-Arts Commission-Dr. Iris Chapman

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Grant Amount Requested $2,000.00 Project Start Date (no earlier than July 1, 2020) August 2020 Project End Date (no later than June 30, 2021) June 15, 2021 Project/Program Summary I receiv ed an Artist Project Grant in 2018-19 to conduct interv iews for a documentary on Central High School in Hillsborough. I am applying again for funding to edit and complete the documentary. Central was the only black high school in Hillsborough which operated from 1938-1968. It is now known as Hillsborough Elementary. Central was closed in 1968 as part of the desegregation of schools in the South. The documentary will feature three major parts: (1) the African-American community surrounding Central prior to desegregation, (2) the actual closing of Central High during desegregation, and (3) the preserv ation of Central’s legacy since the 1968 closing. I v isualize the real point of this documentary is Sav ing Central: A Legacy to Behold. Central, prior to desegregation, will show v iewers how the dynamics of the community engulfed the students with lov e, discipline and inspiration. At Central High, siblings could be in touch with their other brothers and sisters throughout the day because Central housed the first through the twelfth grades. Teachers were required to v isit the homes of their students. Many young boys in Hillsborough learned a sport and good sportsmanship by playing ball in Mayor Johnson’s backyard. The school games and the local black churches were gathering places for fun and community activ ities. The section, The Closing of Central, will prov ide testimonies from interv iewees about the loss of the culture that had undergirded and supported the students, teachers and parents for years. The culture of Central High, as well as that of many other black schools, shared a similar univ ersality and fate of demolition during desegregation, despite they were mov ing to stronger academic schools. Sav ing Central’s legacy will feature accomplishments and challenges in preserv ing Central’s history. One group of alumni tried ways of procuring a building for black youth in Hillsborough. In recent times, another alumni group formed the Central and Orange Alumni, a non- profit, that has been instrumental in sponsoring outstanding reunions for all classes to gather and commemorate the memory of Central. In 2014, artist Amos Stokes was commissioned to paint a mural on Central walls, which included 23 portraits representing the school life of Central during the 40s, 50s and 60s. The Central-Orange High Alumni Association will be a partner in this effort as they hav e a v ested interest in what happens to Central; they DocuSign Envelope ID: 26256A8B-377F-4012-A913-2B9A66298B30