THE NEW BOOKER T. WASHINGTON - What do you think?

[Galen Ollison]

Here it is, Bulldogs. The newest incarnation of our beloved campus. Leave your comments and discussion about it.

[Deborah Young Love]

I'm back in the Archives again.  The subject says:  "The New Booker T. Washington." I must agree...that this IS the "NEW" Booker T. Washington...and  [ not ] an 'extension' of  " OUR "  Booker T. Washington "TECHNICAL" High School that we know it to be. [Don't get the name of this school "twisted."]

So what is there to say...except that this new building was "built" on historical grounds.  [We all can agree to this.] So, yes it is a "NEW", but [ NOT ] a {NEW} Booker T. Washington "TECHNICAL" High School.  [Technical is the key word....now stay with me.] The City can call it whatever it wants, but WE as attendees of the TECHNICAL High School know differently...and that's what counts...and will stand true. BUT "we" as the "Original Attendees" must continue to "educate" those "who" do not know the "Conception/Beginning/Purpose/History" of our Historical Building and the Historical Educators and Students who's "footprints" paved the way, leaving "their" markings/indention's on those concrete" grounds....and that MESSAGE is "etched" in STONE.

[A well known saying taken from Joan Rivers: "Can We Talk?"] And that is exactly what we need to 'CONTINUE' to do.....T-A-L-K.

[Mary Frances (Lott) Jones]

Our BTW is in our hearts. Someday the students of today will have the same kinds of great memerios about the new BTW.

[Cassie Richey Robinson]

Karen you are right on the money..... the "new" building does resemble a prison. Its an eyesore, its just UGLY, but it feels good for me to see the beautiful ole red brick building. We all know that these highly paid architects could have done a better job of renovating and conserving our history, but Dallas did not want it to be...

[Jacqueline McMillan Hill]

The bottomline is we had to struggle very hard earlier this year to maintain the name of the school. It was grand to see alumni rally around and petition the Dallas School Board to keep the name as Booker T Washington High School. Even Lincoln and Madison alumni rallied to keep the BTW name. As your prpbably know, some Board Members had signed off on a new name of our school as Nancy Hamon School. Once the community and alumni found out, we had to give the DISD School Board a lesson in Black History and the great man that Booker T. Washington was and the Freedmans Town area of North Dallas history too. Therefore, the name was maintained. Another proud bulldog!

[Galen Ollison]

Thanks for those strongly inspiring perspectives, Carolyn!!! Purify chasing Ross??!! Where was I? Or had I graduated?

Keeping that pride of school is bound to be another strong weapon in preventing the great Booker T. Washington legacy from being obliterated. Thanks for joining in, sis!!

carolyn joyce wilson said:

i know the damage has been done but we have something nobody can take away."MEMORIES". We must be like our ancestors.When somebody ask you "Where you went to school? You can proudly say, "I WENT TO BOOKER T.WASHINGTON TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL". HOW BOUT THAT. LET YOUR CHILDREN KNOW HOW PROUD YOU FELT TO BE A BULLDOG,LET YOUR NEIGHBOR KNOW, LET YOUR BOSS KNOW, LET ANYBODY KNOW HOW WE LEARN SOME GOOD STUFF FROM OUR SCHOOL.WHEN YOU PASS BY BOOKER T., THIS IS MY SCHOOL AND I KNEW ABOUT IT FIRST ------ CAN'T TAKE IT AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NEVER.

[carolyn joyce wilson]

i know the damage has been done but we have something nobody can take away."MEMORIES". We must be like our ancestors.When somebody ask you "Where you went to school? You can proudly say, "I WENT TO BOOKER T.WASHINGTON TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL". HOW BOUT THAT. LET YOUR CHILDREN KNOW HOW PROUD YOU FELT TO BE A BULLDOG,LET YOUR NEIGHBOR KNOW, LET YOUR BOSS KNOW, LET ANYBODY KNOW HOW WE LEARN SOME GOOD STUFF FROM OUR SCHOOL.WHEN YOU PASS BY BOOKER T., THIS IS MY SCHOOL AND I KNEW ABOUT IT FIRST ------ CAN'T TAKE IT AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NEVER.

[carolyn joyce wilson]

carolyn joyce wilson said:

booker of thee i sing --- will always stay in my heart - seeing mr. purify chasing ms.ross in the halls - watching mr. kincaid flirting with ms.dillard - having a ms. booker t. teaching english - the nutty professor have you check your desk for a raccoon that got loose( mr.grimes) - having ms.holloway talking about your uniform, shoes included was not clean - when ms. craven really didn't care that much - when jimmy skims would mess-up on the field - when larry lewis caused the team to be penalized for being the last one to jump on the pile on the field - during band practice slip out the practice room for snaps and get caught by mr.gray - and last but not least "THANKING GOD ALMIGHTY" for letting me remember the " MIGHTY! MIGHTY! BULLDOGS!

[carolyn joyce wilson]

booker of thee i sing --- will always stay in my heart - seeing mr. purify chasing ms.ross in the halls - watching mr. kincaid flirting with ms.dillard - having a ms. booker t. teaching english - the nutty professor have you check your desk for a raccoon that got loose( mr.grimes) - having ms.holloway talking about your uniform, shoes included was not clean - when ms. craven really didn't care that much - when jimmy skims would mess-up on the field - when larry lewis caused the team to be penalized for being the last one to jump on the pile on the field - during band practice slip out the practice room for snaps and get caught by mr.gray - and last but not least "THANKING GOD ALMIGHTY" for letting me remember the " MIGHTY! MIGHTY! BULLDOGS

[Galen Ollison]

All of us surely share your sentiments, Rose Mary. I'm convinced a team of UTA College of Architecture STUDENTS not enslaved to the whims of whatever controlling politics or funding vanities were at work would have done a much better job, blending creatively with the existing legendary landmark structure. Where was the Dallas Historical Society when this granite monster was gobbling up Booker T. Washington in an obliterating way? So much of this "design disaster" was apparently done behind the scenes, because even as we looked at steel frames going up in early stages nothing like this monstrosity seemed like it would be the end result.

[ROSE MARY THOMAS]

This building is "absolutely pathetic," to the point of embarrassing. I know Mr. Patton has turned over in his grave. It has no class about it at all. The first time I drove by there, I was shocked beyond words.
Rose Mary Lewis Thomas