Birmingham in Jefferson County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
Graymont Elementary School
Photographed By Mark Hilton, July 19, 2020
1. Graymont Elementary School Marker
On September 4, 1963, Graymont Elementary
School was the first public school in Birmingham
to be racially integrated. Two brothers, nine and
eleven years old, accompanied by their father,
James Armstrong, along with Reverend Fred L.
Shuttlesworth and attorney Oscar Adams Jr.,
became the first African Americans to register
in an all-white city school. The 1963
desegregation of Graymont Elementary, as well
as of West End High and Ramsey High in the
same year, came in response to a court suit
challenging Birmingham's segregated education
system. The case had been initiated by James
Armstrong in 1960, but it was not until three
years later that the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court
compelled the school board to admit black students.Erected 2018 by Alabama Historical Commission.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Education. A significant historical date for this entry is September 4, 1963.
Location. 33° 30.849′ N, 86° 50.463′ W. Marker is in Birmingham, Alabama, in Jefferson County. Marker is
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Smithfield (approx. ¼ mile away); Racial Zoning (approx. ¼ mile away); Black Birmingham Housing (approx. ¼ mile away); Urban Renewal, Urban Removal (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Push for Fair Housing (approx. 0.3 miles away); Black Classes and the Masses (approx. 0.4 miles away); Rev. Shuttlesworth Calls for Peace and Action (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Price of Freedom (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Birmingham.
Also see . . . BHAM Wiki article on the former Graymont Elementary School. (Submitted on July 20, 2020, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
Photographed By Mark Hilton, July 19, 2020
2. View of marker and former school in background.
Building is now used by the Jefferson County Committee for Economic Opportunity (JCCEO).
Credits. This page was last revised on July 20, 2020. It was originally submitted on July 20, 2020, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 299 times since then and 76 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 20, 2020, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
