Hillsboro-Belmont in Nashville in Davidson County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
School Desegregation in Nashville Nashville Plan Schools
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Emma Clemons School
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, March 21, 2021
1. School Desegregation in Nashville “Nashville Plan” Schools/ Emma Clemons School Marker
School Desegregation in Nashville
"Nashville Plan" Schools
In Brown v. Topeka (1954) and Brown II (1955) the U.S. Supreme Court ordered public schools nationwide to end racial segregation "with all deliberate speed.” Nashville failed to comply, resulting in the Kelley v. Board of Education case (1955) and the 1957 enactment of a grade-per-year plan starting at the first grade. In 1963, the Maxwell v. Davidson County (1960) case was merged with the Kelley case. In 1998, the court deemed the Metro school system to be desegregated.
Emma Clemons School
Emma B. Clemons (1850-1906) was the first female principal in Nashville, a member of the Board of Education and the first female educator with a school named in her honor. Emma Clemons School opened in 1908, burned in 1914, and re-opened in 1916. On Sept. 9, 1957, an African American first grade student desegregated the school. There were no protestors at Clemons School that day, as no Black students had pre-registered. The school closed in 1971 and was razed in 1982.
Erected 2020 by The Historical Commission of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education • Women. In addition, it is included in the Tennessee, The Historical Commission of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County series list.
Location. 36° 7.699′ N, 86° 47.35′ W. Marker is in Nashville, Tennessee, in Davidson County. It is in Hillsboro-Belmont. It is on 12th Avenue South just south of Ashwood Avenue, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 12th Avenue South, Nashville TN 37212, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Middle Tennessee. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, March 21, 2021
2. School Desegregation in Nashville “Nashville Plan” Schools/ Emma Clemons School Marker
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, March 21, 2021
3. School Desegregation in Nashville “Nashville Plan” Schools/ Emma Clemons School Marker
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, March 21, 2021
4. School Desegregation in Nashville “Nashville Plan” Schools/ Emma Clemons School Marker
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, March 21, 2021
5. A previous memorial to the Emma B. Clemons Public School
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 21, 2021, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 1,625 times since then and 127 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on March 21, 2021, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
