Four North Fulton historical societies hosting special Black History Month program

The Alpharetta and Old Milton County Historical Society along with the Roswell, Johns Creek and Milton historical societies will present a Black History Month event focused on the history of education for black students in North Fulton at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 27 at St. James United Methodist Church, 3000 Webb Bridge Rd. in Alpharetta.

Like much of the post-Civil War South, Fulton County offered a free public education to black students only through the 7th grade. In 1950, a new Alpharetta Colored School opened on Kimball Bridge Road to serve students in grades 1 through 12.

Three years later at the request of its first graduating class, the school’s name was changed to Bailey-Johnson in honor of Alpharetta blacksmith George “Hard” Bailey, who donated land for the school, and Warren Johnson of Roswell, a former slave and lifelong advocate for black education.