Why the new Spring Hill school should be named after Amanda H. North | Opinion

Update: On Monday, the Williamson County Schools school board agreed to name the school after Amanda North.

My grandmother wanted to be a doctor when she grew up, but a teacher told her she would be better off doing “day work,” so that’s what she did.

Growing up Black in Williamson County meant having to do a dance between oppression and achievement. Amanda North found a way to gracefully navigate between the two.

Mrs. North began her teaching career in 1934, straight out of high school. She taught during the school year and went to college during the summer until she graduated from Tennessee A & I State College, which is now Tennessee State University.

Mrs. North realized that the 20-cent lunch fee was more than some of her students could afford. She organized community suppers to help cover the costs. She recognized that some of her students lived too far to walk, so she drove to pick them up so they could achieve an education.

"Mrs. North was my favorite teacher, I loved her because she was always so stylish and helpful to her students," recalls Millie Hardin Rucker, a former student.

A well-respected woman adored by her family

During bad weather, Mrs. North would stay at school with students and feed them until it was safe for bus travel. “Parents knew their children were in good hands,” reflects Maggie Brown, retired Williamson County teacher and daughter of Amanda North.

Mrs. North’s teaching career went on to span over 40 years in Williamson County. She became the principal at Thompson Station school and Evergreen school in Spring Hill. Later, she taught adult education at Natchez High School in Franklin.

I met Mrs. North when I attended Franklin High School. Growing up in Franklin, I always knew of education giants like her and Mary Mills because they taught most of the Black students in Williamson County during a time of segregation, and they made a lasting impact in the community.

I was friends with Mrs. North’s granddaughter and would spend time in her home. I remember her being a woman of excellence and authority. She was well respected in the community and adored by her family.

“I remember my grandmother waiting on the front porch to greet us every day when we came home from school. She helped us with our homework and always had a snack for us to eat,” recalls North’s granddaughter, Quen Williams, current Williamson County principal. “My mother was teaching and she often filled in to take us to school. I remember her telling us how important it was for us to do well in school and to go to college.”

Williams goes on to say that her grandmother was loving, but firm. “She would have fun, but she didn’t play when she meant business.”

Let the school district know how you feel

In a community that prides itself on heritage and legacy, Amanda North not only made an impact on the lives of those she taught, but she created a family legacy as well. She had three sisters, two daughters, two granddaughters and two nieces who taught within the Williamson County and Franklin Special School Districts. Three of these ladies are current principals.

When the Williamson County School Board asked for suggestions in naming a new school built in Spring Hill, Amanda H. North was the obvious choice.

Mrs. North was a woman dedicated to this community and its residents. She went above and beyond to secure the futures of the children who were in her care, all while raising a family and facing the daily adversity of the times.

Her name is associated with educational excellence and a rich legacy in Williamson County.

Please email newschoolwilkes@wcs.edu and request Mrs. Amanda North's name be added for consideration.

Dawnita Robertson is a native of Williamson County. Many members of her family were taught by Amanda North. 

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why the new Spring Hill school should be named after Amanda H. North