The Legacy of Charlie Walker: From Colored to International Baccalaureate School

• In Event: Exploring the Lives and Legacies of Community Activists and Agitators

Abstract

This paper provides a biographical life history account of Rev. Charlie Walker and the school he founded. Walker was responsible for opening and sustaining a school for Black students in 1924 on land donated by an African American landowner (Mohlman, 1999). This paper contributes to the literature on namesake schools and the intersection of race, place, and curriculum. The literature on the importance of place and more specifically the nexus of community and schools brings focus to historical narratives and legacy (Callejo Perez, 2012). The current status of the school will be described, including efforts by the current leadership to weave the life histories of the school and its founder into the curriculum.

Authors

• Donna Elam, University of South Florida

• Charles K. Kyobe, University of South Florida

• Vonzell Agosto, University of South Florida

• Kaitlyn Bauer, United Way Suncoast