Adkin High School Walkout

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Equality is defined as the state of being equal. That’s exactly why the students in Adkin High School in 1951 decided to walkout. The Adkin High School students demanded equality until they got it. These students wanted what local white high schools had. Local white high schools had books with no pages ripped out, new sports equipment, a large gym, and more. This African American high school had none of that. Instead of new books, they had books with pages ripped out. The things that Adkin High School did have resulted in poor learning. The Adkin High School Walkout helped students get what they needed to learn by the students deciding to walk out of the school. A walkout that changed African American students lives at Adkin High School happened in Kinston, North Carolina(NCPEDIA). Adkin High School was built in 1928 for African American kids that weren’t allowed to go to school because of segregation(NCPEDIA). Even though the high schoolers got to got to school did not mean that they had a healthy learning space. At local white high schools, students got brand new books but at Adkin High School the students got …show more content…

It all started when John Dudley announced over the loudspeaker during morning announcements, “Carolyn Coefield has lost her red pocketbook. If anyone has found it, please return it to the office.” On cue everyone had stood up and walked out the main door, they had kept walking following the designated path(NCPEDIA). All students had marched from Adkin High School to Queen Street, then to the recreation center on Easy Bright Street(NCPEDIA). Some of the students had been carrying homemade signs that said thing like “Freedom,” “Equal Rights,” and “Education.”(NCPEDIA). All of the students had walked out, but one classroom did not. The 7th grade teacher who is unnamed, said to all of the students “You’re not going anywhere” and wouldn’t let any students out of their