Douglass High School (Oklahoma City)
Frederick Douglass High School is a public secondary school in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It is known for its music teacher, Zelia Breaux, and the music program that helped produce several notable musicians. The school began as a segregated school. It is named for Frederick Douglass.
The school is located at 900 North Martin Luther King Avenue. The Trojans are the school's mascot. The new school building was built in 2006. The school song is "Rise up O Douglassites!". It serves 7th to 12th grades.[1] The school colors are black and orange.[2]
According in US News in 2018, the school has about 405 students, 97 percent are minority, college readiness is about 7 percent, and slightly less than half of students are proficient in reading and math. About a quarter take Advanced Placement (AP) exams.[3]
Students from the school protested segregation and conducted sit-ins at segregated Oklahoma City businesses.[4]
History
The old school bhilding served Douglass High School from 1934 to 1954 and then the Page-Woodson School until 1994. [5] It is being redeveloped after being saved.[5]
Music program
Zelia Breaux taught music at the school from 1918 until 1948. Her students included Charlie Christian, Jimmy Rushing, and trumpet player turned writer Ralph Ellison.
Neila says she taught, "From 1918 to 1948."[5]
Alumni
- Ralph Ellison (1931)[6]
- Charlie Christian (1940)[7]
References
- ^ "Douglass Mid-High School / Homepage". www.okcps.org.
- ^ "MaxPreps - America's Source For High School Sports..." www.maxpreps.com.
- ^ "Douglas High School". US News. Retrieved 2020-03-24.
- ^ Baird, W. David (February 9, 1994). The Story of Oklahoma. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 9780806126500 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c "The Old Douglass High School has new life as apartments and community center". April 5, 2017.
- ^ Andrews, William L.; Foster, Frances Smith; Harris, Trudier (February 15, 2001). The Concise Oxford Companion to African American Literature. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198031758 – via Google Books.
- ^ Broadbent, Peter (February 9, 2003). "Charlie Christian: solo flight : the story of the seminal electric guitarist". Ashley Mark – via Google Books.