LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Simmons College of Kentucky is bringing a piece of Louisville history back to life.
The school dedicated the old Central High School near the Limerick neighborhood on Thursday.
Simmons said it will now become the Ida B. Wells Hall, named after the prominent journalist and early civil rights activist.
The building itself holds historical significance.
It was dedicated in 1873 and was the first locally and publicly funded school for African Americans. Many regarded the location as the “birthplace of Black public education in Kentucky” and one of the most progressive high schools for African Americans. It was also the only high school in Louisville for African American students.
"They said, yes African Americans need to be trained with their hands but also with their minds and they wanted to train leaders and intellectuals," George Wright, University of Kentucky vice president for Institutional Diversity, said.
Simmons hopes the building will now be returned to its status as a hub for Black education in Louisville and a key to a brighter future.
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