Rosenwald School Acworth, Georgia

 Education in The Community: The Rosenwald and Roberts School 

The small Black community of Acworth maintained a thriving school system for the youth. In the early 1900s philanthropist and president of Sears Roebuck and Co. was inspired by Booker T. Washington’s work, and began to immediately collaborate with Washington. Rosenwald and Washington’s dedication and belief in quality education and community produced an innovative partnership that built 5,300 schools for black children across the South. Acworth’s historic Rosenwald School was built in 1924 on School Street. The collective building fund for the school was produced by the Acworth black community, the Rosenwald fund, and the Booker T. Washington’s Tuskegee Institute. In 1947, the students moved to the new location of the Roberts School, and in 1953, the Rosenwald School became the black resident’s first community center. The elder members of the black community recall their school days with endearing memories. The elders eagerly tell their history of dedicated teachers who made their student’s learning and success their highest priority. The Rosenwald teachers traveled every day from Atlanta to Acworth to assure the black students of Acworth a quality education.