Heritage Academy (Mississippi)

Heritage Academy is a private school in Columbus, Mississippi. It was founded in 1964 as a segregation academy.^[2]

Heritage Academy
Address
625 Magnolia Lane Columbus , Mississippi 39705 United States
Information
Type	Private
Patron saint(s)	Columbus Educational Foundation[1]
Established	1964
President	Kelly Trout, MD
Principal	Lynne Sneed, High School
Principal	Matt Caldwell, Elementary
Headmaster	Sean Harrison
Staff	72
Faculty	48
Grades	K4-12
Enrollment	472
Color(s)	Red and Blue
Mascot	Patriots
Accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Southern Association of Independent Schools[citation needed]
Newspaper	The Banner
Yearbook	The Heritor
Tuition	$7,000 - $8,000
Website	http://www.heritagepatriots.com/

History

Heritage was founded in 1964^[3] as a segregation academy.^[4] In 1988, Heritage enrolled its first Black students, Jabari and Jasáda Dunbar.^[5]

1989 football forfeitures

In 1989, Heritage Academy became the first school in the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) North Conference to have a black player on its football team.^[6] The school received national media attention when two other schools threatened to forfeit games rather than play against a racially integrated opponent.^[7] The opponents, two former segregation academies named Sharkey-Issaquena Academy and the East Holmes Academy, claimed that injuries, not race, were the reason for forfeiting the games.^[6] Heritage Academy headmaster and head coach Ray Wooten rejected the denials, calling them "a bunch of bull."^[6]

After seven players and two school board members resigned, East Holmes Academy reconsidered its decision to forfeit.^[8] The black player, sophomore running back Scott Fuller, offered to quit the Heritage Academy team so the game could be played, but coach Ray Wooten insisted that Fuller remain on the team.^[9]

In 1991, the student body elected Jabari O. Dunbar the first, and to date (as of 2019) only, African-American president of Heritage Academy's Student Government Association. The following year, Jabari graduated with honors, the school's first African-American graduate. His sister Jasa'da Dunbar became the second in 1998.^[10]

Athletics and extracurricular activities

Heritage Academy's first athletic director was Billy Brewer.^[11] When Brewer later accepted a coaching position at Ole Miss, he told the Clarion-Ledger that his involvement with the all-white academy was his "own business" and that it would not affect Ole Miss's efforts to recruit black players.^[12]

The Heritage Academy football team won the MPSA AAA championship in 1986 and the MAIS championship in 2012 and 2019.

The Heritage Academy basketball team won MPSA titles in 1992 (2A), 2018 (3A), and 2019(3A). The 2019 basketball team also went on to win the MAIS Overall Championship that year.

Heritage Academy golf won the MAIS 3A Championship in 2012, 2016, and 2017.

In addition to these sports, Heritage Academy also offers baseball, soccer, softball, volleyball, tennis, track and field, and cross country.

Non-athletic extracurricular opportunities include cheerleading, competitive dance, robotics, quiz bowl, various school clubs, and the spirit store.

References

1. Swope, Jan (September 13, 2014). "A Columbus school celebrates the half-century mark". Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
2. Steve Rogers (May 16, 2004). "Landmark court ruling changed America forever". The Commercial Dispatch.
3. Fowler, Sarah (23 March 2013). "Backlash prompts Heritage Academy to keep its old name". The Dispatch-Columbus, MS. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
4. Crespino, Joseph (2007). In Search of Another Country: Mississippi and the Conservative Counterrevolution. Princeton University Press. p. 241. ISBN 9780691122090. Retrieved 4 January 2018. ..."receiving tax exemptions, all but one enrolled only white students; the sole exception was an all-black private school." Table 8.1 includes Heritage.
5. DeRosa, Theo (1 June 2021). "Profile: Dunbar discusses breaking racial barriers, leaving a legacy at Heritage Academy". The Dispatch-Columbus, MS. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
6. Dodd, Donald (October 12, 1989). "Heritage Academy adds black player, loses foes". Clarion-Ledger. p. 1.
7. "A Goal-line Stand For Prejudice". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Retrieved 2017-11-07.
8. AP (1989-10-20). "School Backs Down on Issue of Black Player". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-11-07.
9. Walker, Scott (October 15, 1989). "Black teen considered quitting for his teammates". Clarion-Ledger. p. 4D.
10. Simmons, Grace (April 27, 1991). "Heritage Academy Elects First Black Student President". Clarion-Ledger. Archived from the original on April 11, 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
11. "A Columbus school celebrates the half-century mark". The Commercial Dispatch. Retrieved 2018-01-10.
12. "What Billy Brewer says about". The Clarion-Ledger. December 24, 1982. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.

External links

• Heritage Academy Website

33°31′19″N 88°25′28″W