there was one black high school, emmett scott high school, beloved in the black community. it had been there since the 1920's. that thethey realized gig was up, the school board a plan, to desegregate closing emmett scott high school, which again the looked at as a thumb in their eye. here was this school that had a graduatedory, had prominent members not only of the black community here but great who went on to success elsewhere. and they were saying, okay, if we're going to do this, going to shut this down. the justice department responded motivatedis racially broughtxpert that was in by the federal lawyers said it doesn't make financial sense. but in late july, the judge ordered immediate integration. ordered -- in his initial order, he said that they would emmett school high school open. and there were back room negotiations with the school board. and within a period of weeks. school isn mind, the going to start within a month. and so they needed to come up plan, pronto. and under the gun, in the back room, the federal lawyers agreed compromised with the white leadershi

in his initial order, he said that they would keep emmett scott high school. within a period of weeks -- keep in mind school was going to start within a month, so they needed to come up with a plan pronto. under the gun, in the background, the federal lawyers agreed and compromised with the white leadership of the school board, and under the agreement, emmett scott would be closed, and it would no longer be used as a school. as a school. that was devastating, again, to a black community -- the school had been revered. it was also painful that the kids were going to have to go to a school named after a confederate general. in october of 1972, there were had been revered. body who presented the school four kids from the black student board with a petition, asking -- would you please change these confederate symbols and the name? because again, here is a school that was now integrated that have black students who have to run under a rebel flag every time they came out. every time they came out on the football field, if they were miserable time, they wore the star

saids initial order, he that they would keep emmett scott high school within a in mindf weeks -- keep school was going to start within a month, so they needed to come up with a plan pronto. under the gun, in the background, the federal lawyers agreed and compromised with the white leadership of the school board, and under the agreement, emmett scott would be closed, and it would no longer be used as a school. that was devastating, again, to a black community -- the school had been revered. it was also painful that the kids were going to have to go to a school named after a confederate general. in october of 1972, there were the black student body who presented the school board with a petition, asking what you please change these confederate symbols and the name? because again, here is a school that was no integrated that have black students who have to run under a rebel flag every time they came out. they time they came out on football field, if they were miserable time, they were the stars and bars on their band uniform. waving rebel flags, shooting off a cannon, dress up like rebel

the news agreement, came down that emmett scott would be closed and would no longer be used as a school. that was devastating, again, to a black community who had revered, the school had been revered. also painful that their kids were going to have to go to a school named after a confederate general. were four 1972 there kids from the black student body lee who asked the school board with a petition to please change these names -- please change this name and these confederate symbols. because this was a school that was now integrated that had black kids who had to now run under a rebel flag. here was a school where you had black kids running under a rebel flag every time they came out onto the football field, if they were on the football team. they wore the stars and bars. they had kids doing rebel yells and waiting rebel flags in the stands, and shooting up a cannon, dressed like confederate soldiers, every time the football team scored. and members of the black this is really unacceptable to our kids. we are having this shoved in our else, every time somebody l, rel.em hel kids to sai