RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Several Ligon alumni are currently fighting to preserve this historically Black school. They say students not only earned diplomas there but also learned trades that helped build up the Capitol City.
Bruce Kennedy attended Ligon 54 years ago. “I left in our senior year during the integration,” he said. The lifelong Raleigh resident was part of the last high school class to attend Ligon before it was integrated and converted into a middle school. Kennedy was then sent to Sanderson High to graduate.
“I hated it,” Kennedy admitted. “I wanted to graduate from there (Ligon) all my life because all my parents, everyone in our family, had graduated from there.”
Now, decades later, the school is facing another major change. Ligon is scheduled for a $141 million renovation. However, there have also been discussions about potentially demolishing the building and rebuilding.
The school’s future sparked a tense exchange at last week’s Wake County School Board meeting. Board Member Toshiba Rice expressed frustration, saying, “It is disrespectful that I don’t know, to be honest. It is disrespectful to the people that I serve,” during the October 14th meeting. She pressed for an update on the renovation plans.
Superintendent Dr. Robert Taylor explained that an architect was selected some time ago and that he plans to hold conversations with community members about the next steps for the project.
“We want to do our due diligence to make sure we talk to the public,” said Taylor. “If there is going to be a change or a recommendation, it is my responsibility to make sure I go and talk to them.”
Alumnus Daniel Coleman supports moving forward with the renovation, emphasizing that Ligon represents more than just a school.
“This symbolizes what Wake County is today,” Coleman said. “Everybody came out here. A lot of kids couldn’t get jobs anyplace else. So they were trained. They were plumbers or brick masons. It filled a whole gamut of educational needs for the community.”
For Kennedy, preserving the building is about honoring a legacy.
“It’s part of our legacy,” he said.
https://abc11.com/post/ligon-magnet-school-alumni-fight-preserve-historically-black-raleigh/18045599/
