For African Americans in Winston-Salem, the history of public education is one of false starts and steady progress. Prior to 1887, when Depot Street School opened, classes were held in homes and churches or civic clubs, like the Odd Fellows Lodge, out of necessity. In time, a new sense of purpose inspired more "private schools." The first of these, Slater Industrial Academy, was followed by Citizen's Hall and Nelson Preparatory. Once Slater was state-accredited, it was poised for exponential growth and influence in the region. While Slater's curriculum focused on training in the discipline of education itself, black parents lobbied vigorously for more public schools. Columbian Heights Graded School opened in 1905, Woodland Avenue in 1910, Belview in 1920 and East 14th Street Elementary in 1924. Oak Grove Elementary School, now known as Carver High School, opened in 1936 despite Depression-era hardship. Carver was the first four-year public high school for African Americans in the county.

In recognition of Slater's leadership, the state granted the school a new charter in 1925. Slater became Winston-Salem Teachers College, the first historically black college in the nation to award a bachelor's degree in elementary education.

The state again revised the charter in 1957, further extending Teachers College's authority into secondary education and other graduate level training. In 1963, Teachers College changed its name to Winston-Salem State College and achieved university status in 1972. Known today as Winston-Salem State University, it is one of 16 constituent institutions of the University of North Carolina.



Winston-Salem State University (WSSU)
336.750.2000, 601 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive
WSSU offers 37 baccalaureate and 5 masters degrees from 16 academic departments. With an enrollment of more than 3,500 students and 175 full-time faculty members, the campus has expanded in recent years with the addition of the Microelectronics Center (linked to the Triangle Universities Computation Center in Research Triangle Park), a videoconference facility, a library annex and a recording studio. The 94-acre main campus is ideally situated in the heart of the Piedmont Triad, encompassing Winston-Salem, Greensboro and High Point.



Maya Angelou National Institute
Winston-Salem State University (WSSU)
The Maya Angelou National Institute for the Improvement of Child and Family Education is a project supervised by the Division of Education at WSSU. The institute is a community-based center. Areas of study include developing family support programs; connecting research, theory and practice in education to outreach activities; and informing professionals and policy-makers about related issues of practical management in and preparation for education and human services.


Photo courtesy of Forsyth County Public Library Photography Collection