By Kylie Marsh
Kylie.marsh@triangletribune.com
RALEIGH – Tensions flared at a community listening session last week surrounding the renovation of John W. Ligon Middle School.
The meeting, called by Wake County Board of Education member Toshiba Rice, was meant to gather feedback about moving forward with renovations for the historically Black school.
John W. Ligon was a celebrated pastor, educator and leader throughout the state. The John W. Ligon Junior-Senior High School opened in 1953 to provide an alternative to the crowded Washington Graded and High School, of which Ligon was a principal.
Originally constructed with a budget of $1 million, Wake County has now allocated approximately $141 million to renovate the site. The school was marked for renovation in 2022 as part of Wake County’s seven-year Capital Improvement Plan.
Much has been said about the historic contributions the school made to the Southeast Raleigh community and Wake County and is deemed by Preservation Raleigh to be a “Place in Peril.” The school was renowned for its teaching staff who “didn’t just pass you along,” as one alumni shared.
Participants were asked to reminisce on their favorite memories of attending Ligon, but they weren’t interested. What they wanted was clear information on what is proposed for the site’s renovation, which officials present could not provide.
Ligon Principal Darren Williams gave a brief overview of the needs of the school, which range from leaks, mold, a decaying HVAC system that causes a 15-degree variation in temperatures across the building, and a lack of square footage compared to the Wake County Public Schools standards.
What community members heard was the school must be torn down.
Desmond Dunn, a consultant hired by Wake County, said this is not the case. Dunn, a Ligon alumnus, also sent his daughter to the school.
Though the meeting began with community agreements to remain respectful of all perspectives, concerned alumni stood up and spoke on their concerns when not provided with a microphone. They said Needham B. Broughton High School, built in 1929 for white students, is not at risk of demolition.
“Broughton was built out of stone. We weren’t given stone. We were given scraps,” Dunn said, reminding community members that, due to segregation, subpar building materials were used to erect the school. “Right now, in the chorus room, there is a trashcan collecting water.”
Dunn added there may not be another chance for the county to allocate $141 million to the school. “Whatever we do needs to last my entire lifetime,” he said.
Community members also raised concerns about a “lack of transparency” between the county and its residents. Wake released a Request for Proposals and has been working with LS3P architecture firm, ahead of community information sessions.
“How many people in this room were involved in meetings?” a man asked. Rice agreed there has indeed been a lack of transparency, and she called the meeting to start over on the right foot.
Wake County Public Schools Superintendent Robert Taylor acknowledged the significance Black schools have to the community, and the care and intention that is required behind any renovations of important historical landmarks.
There are three proposals for Ligon:
* Renovate the site
* Demolish the school and build a new one
* Move the original building to the football field, build a new one on its original site, demolish the old one on the football field and then build a new football field.
Resident Daniel Coleman provided a written statement denouncing the third proposal of relocating Ligon to the football field (called “the bottoms” by its students).
“[The legacy of Ligon] should not be pushed down the hill into the place where, for generations, those with the fewest resources lived, and what many of us still call ‘the bottoms,’” he said.
“We need a clear and straightforward message,” Taylor added. “This isn’t about politics, it’s about trust.” He assured community members that there is no plan set in stone right now. The purpose of the session was to get feedback and hear concerns from alumni.
Taylor also proposed dates for further listening sessions between January and March. “What we readily admit is that we haven’t always been as clear and transparent as we should be,” he said. “And that is not deliberate.”
While Ligon alumni in attendance were predominately Black, current and prospective parents were mostly white women who raised concerns that whatever decision is made, they will risk sending their students to a satellite location for learning.
“It’s hard to have confidence in what our city or county are doing when we always get shortchanged,” an attendee said. “You took the park from us; you took the school from us. We’ve always been told that we’re gonna get progress, but progress always comes with a cost to us.”
