In 1910 Professor A.M. Strange visualized a training school for African American students in Tangipahoa Parish. Tangipahoa Parish Colored Training School opened its doors in 1911, it was the first training school for black students in the entire south and the first school that provided secondary education for black students in the nation.

Students from St. Tammany, Washington, East and West Feliciana Parishes, Louisiana and the state of Mississippi attended the school. Like Piney Wood Boarding School in Meridian, Mississippi. Tangipahoa Parish Colored Training School was also a boarding school for black students. Many of them were the grandchildren and children of former slaves. Some were the sons and daughters of sharecroppers who wanted their children to get and education. The students walked for miles to get to school.

Famous gospel singers like Mahalia Jackson and Joe May performed at the school to help raise funding for school related causes. “I remember pushing my way up to the front of the line waiting for Mahalia to get out of her car, they laid down the red carpet for her, “said Betty Lou Womack. Maxine Knighten remembered purchasing her ticket and enjoying listening to her sing.

The Tangipahoa Parish School Board received the okay from the School Board’s Finance Committee to begin the process to auction off the former O.W. Dillon School site off C. B. Temple Road in Kentwood.

If the site is sold, a very rich part of history for the entire state of Louisiana,and the nation will be lost forever. The site could be utilized as a museum, a place to host events, and vocational training. People all over the nationwould be welcometovisit the oldest birthplace of secondary education for African American students. Tangipahoa Parish Color Training School/O.W. Dillon Memorial High School is the Mecca and the mother of all color training schools in the entire nation.

O.W. Dillon Preservation Organization, Inc. would like to preserve the historic school and the legacy of the oldest training school for African Americans students in the nation. The school is woven into the fabric of the Kentwood community and our nation. O.W. Dillon Preservation Organization, Inc.needs your help and financial contribution to preserve this historical site.

Genealogist and family historian Antoinette Harrell,advised the non-profit organization to start collecting rare photographs and other memorabilia for preservation. Some alumni came forward with rare yearbooks dating back to 1935. If anyone has any photographs and other items they would like to donate, the organization welcome the donations.

‘We must continue to work hard and be committed to preserving this rich history and legacy,” said Marcia Wilson, O.W. Dillon Preservation Organization, Inc. President. “We Need Your Help!”

Please visit www.owdillonpreservation.org for information.

Contact Details:

Marcia Wilson
985.215.0349
[email protected]
www.owdillonpreservation.org