“What we are trying to do is to keep the Dunbar legacy alive,” said Betty Demmons, secretary of the Dunbar High School Reunion. 

Dunbar High School, built in 1942, is a former all-Black school in Clay County. The school helped alleviate the lack of educational opportunities for Black children in the county, as segregation laws at the time separated Black students from white students. 

The Black students commuted daily to Dunbar by bus from Penney Farms, Middleburg, Doctors Inlet and Hibernia. 

With only 350 students, 14 teachers, one principal, one part-time librarian, one part-time counselor, four lunchroom workers, two custodians, and five bus drivers, the small but mighty school became a gateway to success. 

On Friday night, many of these students reunited for the first time since 2018 due to the pandemic. Hugs were shared as students rubbed shoulders with old classmates. While mingling, they were also able to eat and look through old photo albums.

Each student was then able to introduce themselves and tell stories of their experience at the high school. 

On Saturday, the students reunited at their old stomping grounds. Now known as the Augusta Savage Arts and Community Center, the building used to be the old Dunbar. The students were joyful from touring the halls to sitting in the old library and remembering their teachers. 

Demmons said it was great to see all her old classmates again. Many classmates traveled from all around the country, including California and Tennessee.

“It is just a joy to see all of us because we don’t get to see each other like we used to,” Demmons said.

The school officially closed after the last graduating class of 1967, with the start of integration. Junior-year students were then transferred to Clay High and Orange Park High. And because of that, Demmons said many students lost contact.

“We kind of, like, was separated and we lost some connection and all like that. And, we are just trying to keep our history alive,” Demmons said. 

Demmons said it’s important to remember this history, especially with the growing changes in the county.

“We are running into so many people that don’t know anything about Dunbar. And they’ve heard nothing about Dunbar,” Demmons said.

She said that the group feels that they might lose their heritage if they don’t pull in others in the community. So, their main job at hand is keeping people educated and informed. 

“If we don’t preserve it, we are going to lose it,” Demmons said. “And it’s our main focus, and we want to be remembered.”