Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Prescott welcomes McRae alumni

Those who attended McRae School prior to integration returned to Prescott for the annual McRae School Reunion, held this year on July 1 through 3.

Willie Wilson, faculty member of Prescott High School, spoke to the assembly in the absence of Prescott Superintendent Hyacinth Deon.

Wilson cited the T-shirts and literature regarding the reunion.

It says McRae was founded in 1902 and ended in 1962, Wilson said. In the Prescott school district, we take issue there. It may have been founded in 1902, but we live on.

The former McRae School building is now used as the districts middle school and is named, McRae Middle School.

Wilson went on to laughingly say that the designers of the Prescott High School auditorium had inadvertently created the perfect seating for a McRae reunion. He pointed out that the seats are gold and that the McRae colors had been purple and gold.

So with your purple, were now purple and gold, Wilson said.

One of the keynote speakers for the opening ceremonies was U.S. Congressman Mike Ross. Ross said he has something in common with those who attend the reunion.

This room will be filled with people that grew up in Prescott, Ross said prior to the event. Many of them have grown up and moved away. They live all over the United States.

Im here to welcome them home today. Like me, they havent forgotten where they came from.

Ross said the people who grow up in communities like Prescott often have a strong sense of home.

And I think its important to come back to our roots, Ross said.

Taking the stage, Ross told the assembly that he represents a rather large Congressional district, and that a small percentage of those he represents live in his home county. Ross said he is still proud to call Prescott home, and that hes happy to return whenever he isnt needed in Washington.

This is a celebration of people who lived here, Ross said.

He then turned his remarks to the condition of the area. He cited planned changes to McRae Park.

Its time we made the kind of improvements to McRae Park that need to be made, he said. We have a new library. Its not only a library, but a symbol that education is valued.

Ross said that many who have lived and worked in Prescott have exhibited a commitment to education, including the Mr. McRae for whom McRae School was named.

McRae School represents an important chapter in history, Ross said.

He cited segregation and the impact that practice had on educational opportunities for many African Americans. He said some people have only distant memories of segregation, but said the McRae alumni are among those who know the reality of the practice.

Its important to remember so we dont repeat those mistakes, Ross said. While we have come a long way, I submit to you that we still have a long way to go.

Ross offered statistics regarding the number of young black men who are currently in prison. He said hes sick and tired of politicians who say theres no money to improve education, but are ready to build more prisons.

Prescott-Nevada County Chamber of Commerce Director Mary Godwin gave those gathered a quick run down of the progress thats been made since the 2005 reunion. She listed a rural water project, sidewalk improvements, streets that have recently been paved and the walking trail.

Prescott Mayor Howard Taylor said he had visited with several people who were in town for the reunion. Taylor turned his remarks briefly to the changes in education over the past half-century or more.

I went to a country school, Taylor said. Our teacher rode a horse to school. That was how country it was.

He said a group of older boys once talked him into taking the teachers lunch and feeding it to the horse.

As the crowd laughed, Taylor said that his biggest concern when it came to discipline was not what the teacher would inflict, but what would be waiting for him at home.

Anyway, I didnt do that anymore, he said.

Taylor went on to talk about the values that were part of those early educators curriculum, then said it compares with the current school in Prescott.

We have a great school system, Taylor said. We have a great school board.

He also commended Prescott Superintendent Hyacinth Deon for her leadership.

The reunion was slated to have wrapped up Monday night with a banquet. According to information from organizers, some 250 people planned to attend that event.