Rosewood in Austin in Travis County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
L.C. Anderson High School and Integration of Austin’s Public Schools
To accommodate an increasing African American population, the Austin Public School system (later the AISD) built E.H. Anderson High School in 1909, renaming it L.C. Anderson High School in 1938. The same year, the Austin city plan restricted construction of future African American Schools to the segregated neighborhood east of East Avenue. Post-war population growth and the need to improve its “separate but equal” facilities led AISD in 1953 to build a larger, more modern building for Anderson High School. L.C. Anderson High School became a social center for the entire community, hosting athletics, plays, concerts, and graduations, and despite its disadvantages, the students excelled in academics, athletics, and music.
In 1955, the U.S. Supreme Court’s second Brown v. Board of Education decision ordered schools nationwide to desegregate "with all deliberate speed." Austin implemented a "freedom of choice" program, allowing students to choose where they attended school, but in 1968, the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare declared AISD noncompliant with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 1969, AISD attempted to integrate Anderson, but only 17 White students enrolled. In 1971, when a U.S. district court redrew attendance boundaries, only 40 White students attended, as many White parents would not allow their children to attend Anderson. In 1971, AISD, with the Court’s approval, closed Anderson High School and ordered the busing of African American students to predominantly White high schools within the district. The closure of L.C. Anderson High School at this location, Austin’s only Black public high school, diminished the cohesiveness which made the historic L.C. Anderson High School such a focal point for the surrounding community.
Erected 2018 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 20056.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1938.
Location. 30° 16.202′ N, 97° 42.511′ W. Marker is in Austin, Texas, in Travis County. It is in Rosewood. Marker is on Thompson Street just south of Rosewood Avenue, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 905 Thompson St, Austin TX 78702, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Rosewood Park (approx. 0.3 miles away); Henry G. Madison Cabin (approx. 0.4 miles away); Downs Field (approx. 0.4 miles away); Parque Zaragoza (approx. 0.6 miles away); Laurine Cecil Anderson (approx. ¾ mile away); Mount Olive Baptist Church (approx. 0.8 miles away); Site of Old Anderson High School / Kealing Jr. High School (approx. 0.8 miles away); Maud Anna Berry Smith Fuller (approx. 0.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Austin.
Also see . . .
1. Marker dedication program. (Submitted on July 17, 2021, by Richard Denney of Austin, Texas.)
2. L.C. Anderson, Handbook of Texas. (Submitted on July 17, 2021, by Richard Denney of Austin, Texas.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 17, 2021, by Richard Denney of Austin, Texas. This page has been viewed 341 times since then and 47 times this year. Last updated on July 11, 2022, by Joe Lotz of Denton, Texas. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 17, 2021, by Richard Denney of Austin, Texas. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.