Greenwood in Nashville in Davidson County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
School Desegregation in Nashville / Hattie Cotton Elementary School
Photographed By Darren Jefferson Clay, March 9, 2024
1. School Desegregation in Nashville side of the 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.
Hattie Cotton Elementary School Named for beloved Nashville educator Hattie R. Cotton (1859-1926), the original Hattie Cotton Elementary School was built in 1950 to serve the white population west of Gallatin Pike. Local architects Marr and Holman designed the modern building. An African American first grader desegregated the school on Sept. 9. 1957. At 12:33 a.m. Sept. 10, the school was dynamited and sustained extensive damage. It re-opened within a week. The bombing culprits remain unidentified.
Erected 2020 by The Historical Commission of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County. (Marker Number 220.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans
this page online
Location. 36° 11.447′ N, 86° 44.87′ W. Marker is in Nashville, Tennessee, in Davidson County. It is in Greenwood. Marker is on West Greenwood Avenue west of Bailey Street, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1030 W Greenwood Ave, Nashville TN 37206, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Engine Co. 18 Fire Hall (approx. 0.2 miles away); Oprah's Career Start (approx. 0.6 miles away); Eastland / Cora Howe’s “Wildings” (approx. 0.7 miles away); Kelley vs. Board of Education of Nashville / East High School (approx. 0.8 miles away); Penny Campbell (approx. 0.8 miles away); Joy Floral Company (approx. one mile away); Lockeland Spring (approx. 1.1 miles away); Glenn School / School Desegregation in Nashville “Nashville Plan” Schools (approx. 1.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Nashville.
Photographed By Darren Jefferson Clay, March 9, 2024
2. Hattie Cotton Elementary School side of the marker
Photographed By Darren Jefferson Clay, March 9, 2024
3. School Desegregation in Nashville "Nashville Plan" Schools / Hattie Cotton Elementary School Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on March 11, 2024. It was originally submitted on March 10, 2024, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 45 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 10, 2024, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
