Residents invited to 'send off' 'Oak Ridge-85' to DC

Benjamin Pounds, Oakridger
·2 min read
Dorothy Kirk Lewis, one of the Scarboro 85 students, speaks during a celebration of the Clinton 12 and Oak Ridge 85 at the Scarboro Community Center in Oak Ridge, Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021.
Dorothy Kirk Lewis, one of the Scarboro 85 students, speaks during a celebration of the Clinton 12 and Oak Ridge 85 at the Scarboro Community Center in Oak Ridge, Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021.

The American Nuclear Society plans to honor the students who integrated Oak Ridge Schools at an event this week in Washington, D.C., and Oak Ridge residents can help "send them off" early Tuesday morning.

The bus leaves Oak Ridge's Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 195 Wilberforce Ave., at 7 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 30, and people are invited to be there and wish them well on their trip.

"Five of the 30 living 'Scarboro-85' that we are aware of will attend," said Rose Weaver, who has been involved in various events honoring the 85 students who desegregated Oak Ridge Schools told The Oak Ridger.

These Black students, known as the "Oak Ridge-85" or the "Scarboro-85," made Oak Ridge Schools the first government-run school system to desegregate in 1955, the year after the Brown v. Board of Education decision. They will receive the ANS' "Social Responsibility in the Nuclear Community Award."

At that time of desegregation, Oak Ridge and Oak Ridge Schools were part of the Atomic Energy Commission, not a separate city government or school system. The Atomic Energy Commission later became the U.S. Department of Energy.

The American Nuclear Society's official website states that U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm will represent the department at the ceremony and also receive an award for that department's leadership in the desegregation effort.

The event will Wednesday, Dec. 1, at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C.

"The American Nuclear Society (ANS) is the premier organization for those that embrace the nuclear sciences and technologies for their vital contributions to improving people’s lives and preserving the planet," the ANS' official website states.

Attending the event will be "Oak Ridge-85" members Alma Stevens, Dorothy Kirk Lewis, Ernestine Avery, Shirley James, and Leroy Justice. Also present will Angela Stevens, Sylvia Rupert, Ernestine Foster, Cynthia Clark, Leona Justice, Ella Dubose, John Spratling, Vanessa Spratling, Trina Watson, Henry Watson, Earl Lewis, Martin McBride, Anne McBride, Harvey Stevens and Carmen Toy Fouse.

Ben Pounds is a staff reporter for The Oak Ridger. Call him at (865) 441-2317, follow him on Twitter @Bpoundsjournal and email him at bpounds@oakridger.com.

This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Residents invited to 'send off' 'Oak Ridge-85' to DC