SPARTA, Ill. (AP) – A park has opened in southern Illinois honoring a segregated school’s history in the community.
The Southern Illinoisan reports that a ribbon cutting ceremony was held Saturday to commemorate the Sparta park built on the lot where Vernon School opened its doors in 1912.
The school served the black community until the early 1960s. The building was torn down in the 1990s. Since the early 2000s, a group of community organizers and graduates of Vernon School have been trying to acquire the lot, which had been under city control.
Judge Richard Brown said Saturday that he’s thankful that “there is no need for the Vernon School any longer.” He says he thinks of the matter often as he helps deliver justice for the residents of Randolph County.
