Sunday Favorites: Honoring the First African American School

In 2006, a significant discovery reshaped the local history of African American education in Manatee County. For years, it was believed that Lincoln Academy, established in 1930, was the first school for African Americans in the area. However, Norma Dunwoody, of the Family Heritage House Museum, or FHHM, in Sarasota, uncovered evidence of an earlier institution—the Lyles-Bryant Colored School, which operated from 1922 to 1931 on the 600 block of 8th Avenue East in Manatee County, according to the FHHM.

The Lyles-Bryant Colored School served African American students from kindergarten through eighth grade, offering education to children from all over the county. The school was named after two notable Black residents, Janet Lyles and Louis W. Bryant. Janet Lyles’ husband was a prominent local doctor, while Louis W. Bryant was a successful businessman and a key community leader.

Documents show that Bryant was an integral part of the Colored Law and Order Organization, established in 1910. This organization played a crucial role in establishing the school by procuring land for its construction. Other prominent group members included Judy Rogers (president), Joe Allen, Alex and Bristol Theodore Gordon, Senior Walker, Stewart Senior, and Cleveland Williams. The organization sold seven lots of land they owned, and the proceeds were donated to the Manatee County Board of Public Instruction, helping to bring the school to fruition.

While the Lyles-Bryant School operated for nearly a decade, its closure in 1931 coincided with the expansion of another important institution: Lincoln Academy. Garfield Devoe "G.D." Rogers, the founder of Lincoln Academy, acquired a plot of land along Second Street and 10th Avenue West in Bradenton for the new school. He arranged for the original 1890 Manatee County Courthouse to be relocated to the site and converted into a schoolhouse. At its inception, Lincoln Academy provided education only up to the 8th grade.

Lincoln Memorial Academy.

Unlike white schools, which received government funding, Lincoln Academy relied heavily on community support and donations. Local high schools donated outdated textbooks, and football uniforms, while African American students and parents held fundraisers to purchase necessary equipment. Despite the hardships, the school played a crucial role in educating Black students in the area. African Americans seeking higher education beyond the 8th grade often had to travel to one of five private academies scattered across the state.

In 1931, Lincoln Academy expanded its curriculum to include high school education, offering classes through the 12th grade. As the school grew in importance, it merged with Memorial High School in Palmetto in 1948, becoming Lincoln Memorial High School. Lincoln Memorial High School continued to serve as a cornerstone of the African American community until its final graduating class received diplomas in 1969. The following year, the remaining students were integrated into other schools across the county as part of the nationwide desegregation effort.

The discovery of the Lyles-Bryant School highlights a previously overlooked chapter in Manatee County’s history, illustrating the dedication and resilience of the African American community in the face of segregation and limited resources.