George D Erps

Bluefield High School...from Segregation to Integration George D Erps

In 1971, a new principal walked into the recently integrated senior high school believing he was tough as nails and more than man enough to re-establish peace and tranquility, right all wrongs, motive the faculty, and educate the students in a selfless quest to recapture the school's former glory. Many thought, and some said, "All is lost!" The academic atmosphere, the extraordinary excellence, and the traditional serenity of academia disappeared in 1969, when abruptly and unceremoniously all students in the attendance zone, black and white, were thrown together, almost two decades after the historic Brown vs Board of Education decision in 1954. These pages bring to life the real people, black and white, who occupied the classrooms and hallways of this high school situated in the southwest corner of West Virginia. Through the eyes of the former coach, teacher, assistant principal, and principal, you will meet students and teachers, black and white, as they navigate the path from the separateness of segregation to the oneness of integration. You will laugh and cry, feel embarrassment and anger, and even experience disbelief as you appreciate the struggles, successes, and sometimes failures of the students as they mix and mingle along their journey of total integration to become a united student body, the proud students of the Bluefield High School.