GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Clay County was a different place when Dunbar High opened its doors in 1942. Jim Crow laws and segregation served as the law of the land, thus prohibiting black students from receiving an education at the public schools they attend today.

The school was the county’s only “Black” high school, educating students from seventh to 12th grades.

Friends and former students will remember the former high school during a program called Remembering Dunbar High and Black American Anchor on Saturday, Feb. 11, at 4 p.m. at the Green Cove Springs Junior High.

The event coincides with Black History Month celebrations. But in Clay County, it’s where the Civil Rights movement took root.

The school colors were purple and white, but their band uniforms were orange and gray because somebody donated them.

Although students often used hand-me-down books and school supplies, many of the graduates have fond memories – and they gather every two years to celebrate their time at the school.

Dunbar was built on land donated by artist Augusta Savage and operated until 1967.

Since then, the Augusta Savage Museum and Mentoring Center have been erected on the same grounds. The City of Green Cove Springs is completing a significant overhaul of the center, which still serves as the hub of the Black community.

Green Cove Springs Junior High is located at 1220 Bonaventure Ave., off State Road 16.

For more information, visit friends@fasacc.org or call (904) 657-6223.