Page 3 - Florida Sentinel 10-1-21

Feature
Marshall High School Class Of 1969 Reunion Set For October
BY MONIQUE STAMPS Sentinel Staff Writer
The Marshall High School Class of 1969 is having its 50+ reunion from October 22, 2021 – October 24, 2021, at the Hilton Garden Inn in East Tampa.
The class of 1969 was the last class of the high school. The reunion this October will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their graduation and serve as a 70th birthday celebration as most of the class turned this past year.
The class had its first re- union in 1984 and has con- tinued every five years. In 2019, the class planned a cruise to Cuba. Unfortu- nately, the trip had been scheduled for 2020 and was canceled due to COVID-19.
Back in the day, Marshall
Members Of The Marshall High School Class of 1969
tion.
In 1920, Mr. Edward
Jackson (E. J.) Marshall
persuaded Plant City to deed property to the school board for a facility to educate Black children.
Midway Academy was a three-story, red brick struc- ture initially serving grades 1 - 8. Beginning in 1936, one grade level was added each year until all twelve grades were taught.
The upper levels were re- ferred to as Plant City Negro Junior High and High School, although most in the Black community referred to all levels as Midway Acad- emy.
In 1951, the school was converted to a high school and named for Mr. E. J. Marshall, who was also the first African American to
serve as a school trustee in the Plant City area.
Mr. Willie Thomas and his wife, Emma Thomas are coordinating the event. Visit the class Facebook page at https://www.facebook.- com/groups/794560333987 053.
The price of the banquet is $60. This price includes the Saturday fun day, an in- formal get together the next day. To buy a ticket, contact Marian Richardson at 813-541-9930 or Mr. Thomas at 813-293-1778.
Mr. Thomas is a former reporter for the Florida Sen- tinel-Bulletin and the Tampa Bay Times (when it was the St. Petersburg Times.)
The celebration is open to the public. Attendees are en- couraged to book a room at the hotel.
High School in Plant City was the place to be. Despite being turned into a middle school, the former students still cele- brate the impact the high
school had on them.
The historical background
of the high school demon- strates the fortitude of Black people in getting an educa-
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