Historical society plans desegregation landmark

By Amanda Rogers

Mansfield Record

The Mansfield Historical Society’s quarterly meeting Saturday night focused on the future – and the group’s plan to mark one of the city’s most historical moments.

The nonprofit organization announced plans for a desegregation landmark at the new Geyer Commons on the northwest corner of the intersection of East Broad Street and North Walnut Creek Drive, on the grounds of the old Mansfield High School. The meeting drew approximately 100 people to the visitors center at the Man House Museum, 604 W. Broad St.

Preliminary plans for the landmark include a park-like setting under the post oaks near the gazebo that will include a flagpole, bronze statue of four children representing different races and panels of information about the four days when three Black teens tried to integrate Mansfield High School in August 1956.

“When I see this statue of children holding hands, I think that’s what T.M. Moody wanted,” said Mayor Michael Evans, referencing the local NAACP organizer who orchestrated the desegregation attempt. “The effort to bring children together 70 years ago culminated in this.”

The attempt failed. Over four days – Aug. 27-31, 1956 – three effigies were hung representing Black people, one at Broad and Main streets and two at the high school, a mob of 200-500 people gathered to protest the attempt to desegregate and then- Texas Gov. Allan Shivers called out the Texas Rangers to preserve the peace and stop desegregation.

The four panels of information will cover the post-Civil War period with a racially divided city, separate schools for Black and white students, the Brown v. the Board of Education Supreme Court ruling that struck down “separate but equal” schools, the NAACP’s involvement and what happened at the site, where the historic high school still stands.

The final panel will be written by Evans, who is pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, about how far the community has come in the past seven decades.

“This is meant to remember what happened at that space,” said Chris Ohan, a member of the historical society. “What happened was horrible. This turns something horrible into a triumph.”

The cost for the landmark is still being calculated, said historical society president Tom Leach, but will be covered by donations from the historical society, Bethlehem Baptist, other churches and private donors. A committee is formulating the plans for the landmark, and hopes to have it in place within a year, Leach said.

“Seventy years ago, it looked like a loss, but it was not,” Evans said. “When we’re gone, it will remain. We owe it to generations to come. Unity takes all of us, not some of us.”