In 1989 another mark in history took place as Mr. Williard Epps was elected to replace Mrs. Karen Hill on the Tulare City School Board the first African American to do so. Updated Mr. Epps was appointed as the President of the School Board in 2006
The newly founded school faced other problems with teachers who did not wish to work at the school. With the majority of students being either African American or Hispanic white teachers did not desire the assignment. In 1947 then Principal James Aredia and the city would hire a motivating style of teacher in Thelma Gomez, a teacher and principal in both Texas and New Mexico along with her two-sister Jonnalee Pendley and Margaret Sanchez. In 1948 another bright face was hired when Ms. Elizabeth (Betty) Pyle a young 19 year old from nearby Visalia became the first African American in Tulare City Schools, and the only the third in the County behind (Allensworth Professor William Payne & Alworthta Hall Tompkins who started in 1909 &1939 respectfully), Ms.Pyle would remain for one school year before returning for school at Fresno State for two years, Jessie Cook would become the second African American hired at Lincoln in 1952 . Betty Pyle would leave for Fresno State in 1953-1954 where she was appointed assistant Professor before later becoming a Professor at the College.
Picture provided by Mrs. Rose Ernie Martinez
Lincon class of 1945-46
California has recognized these Tulare Schools as excelling in the field of educations
Lincoln Elementary Honored in 1987
Cherry Avenue Middle Honored in 1990
Garden Elementary Honored in 2000
Cherry Avenue MiddleHonored in 2001
Tulare Union HighHonored in 2003
Live Oak MiddleHonored in 2005
Cherry Avenue Class of 1941 ( Picture Provided by Elenora OKeith- Smith )
Throughout the United States education for African Americans were mostly found in small churches done with very little in the way of material. Tulare County would see no difference. In 1871 in the small community of Centerville an elderly Black man from somewhere back east open a small school for the children in the area, Mr. Daniel Scott would soon find himself employed by the City of Visalia School Board operating a school for the Blacks and Indians and Hispanic children in throughout Tulare County. Mr. Scott who was first asked to teach in the children of Thomas Hinds in Visalia later would operate the Color School in Visalia from 1871 to 1873 when he would leave the area for Southern California. What he left was the first “Color School of Visalia” The greatest gift from this event was the dream of Mr. Edmond Edward Wysinger a former slave and the son of an Native American Father and a slave black mother who was born on a South Carolina Plantation in 1816. Mr. Wysinger challenge of the public school district policy became a landmark decision heard by the California Supreme Court in Wysinger versus Crookshank
In Tulare the first African American hired was Elizabeth (Betty) Pyle a graduate of Visalia High School the very school that Mr. Wysinger fought to have his son enrolled in 1890.
Edmond Edward Wysinger, Visalia Colored School
Elizabeth (Betty) Pyle, Later Professor at Fresno State Passed in 2009
