From These Roots

When North Greenville High School opened for classes in 1893, not all students were allowed to attend. The Articles of North Greenville High School stated in the admittance policy, “While said school is directly under the control and patronage of the North Greenville Baptist Association it shall be open to the admission of all white children without regard to their religion, predilection or the religion of their parents.” By 1912, but possibly earlier, North Greenville had black staff members who were unable to enroll their children at the school where they worked. The first black staff member on record was pictured and listed as “Gus the cook” in the 1912-1913 yearbook.

This policy of segregation at North Greenville would last until January 7th, 1965 when the trustees of North Greenville Junior College voted to comply with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Schools that did not comply with the Civil Rights Act would be ineligible to receive federal funds. While some in Christian higher education supported desegregation on the grounds of morality, it was likely the financial reasonings that led North Greenville and other private colleges in the south to desegregate in the 1960s.

The 1966-1967 North Greenville Junior College Catalog included the statement, “Applicants are considered equally with no distinction being made with reference to race, color, national origin, or religious beliefs.” That same year, North Greenville opened up an extension center in Greer for non-traditional students who wanted to earn college credit. This first group of students in Greer included the first black student enrolled at North Greenville- Warren Sullivan.

In the fall of 1967, North Greenville’s first black traditional students arrived in Tigerville. The two young men who broke down the racial barriers at North Greenville’s main campus were Zawaski Bateman and Melden Bush. The next year, Linda Brockman and Ophelia Moss became the first black women students. Zawaski Bateman was also North Greenville’s first black athlete and would go on to be the school’s first black graduate in 1969. The first women black athletes would not come to North Greenville until 1976. Pam Adams and Alfreda Ray were on the basketball team while Karen Higgins was a cheerleader.

Alex Kinlaw, Jr. became the first black professor at North Greenville in 1978. The recent law school graduate taught government classes at both the NGC Greenville Extension Center and the Tigerville campus. Eventually, he became a judge and in 2018 became the first black Circuit Court Judge in Greenville County.

This Black History Month, and always, we honor the men and women who paved the way for others. Their stories are significant and crucial parts of North Greenville’s history and we hope to share more of them soon. If we have missed someone, it was in no way intentional and we would appreciate the chance to correct our mistake.