May 24, 2026
By Keith Parker
BrevardBeagle.com Columnist
May 1954 was an exciting time for high school seniors about to graduate from Brevard High School and head off to college, the military, or to a job.
However, when one teacher angrily marched into our classroom having just heard news from our local radio station WPNF (the call letters stood for Wonderful Pisgah National Forest) we were all shocked and fearful.
Had we done something wrong? Were the senior pranksters discovered? Did she know who stole the big eagle from the Pisgah Forest entrance?
Then she let it out: the U.S. Supreme Court was about to decide the Brown v. Board of Education ruling that public segregation of education was illegal.
She released her anger by scowling and stating, “The day that students from ANY other race will be in my classroom, it will be my last day of teaching.”
In our shock, we all sat quietly with lips sealed.
I sat between two enrolled Cherokee tribal members and a third Cherokee student sat in the back of the room. Most of us were farmers and had brown or red necks from being out too long in the sun. Most of us looked alike.
One of my buddies whispered, “How dumb can a teacher be?” and that began a conspiracy of silence amongst us as well as those closest to the Cherokee in our midst.
Our confederation predated the historic change of Brevard High becoming one of the first schools in North Carolina to include Black students in its student body by almost 10 years.
G. Keith Parker, BHS Class of ‘54
Dr. Keith Parker is a pastoral counselor, Jungian analyst and local historian who lives in the Dunn’s Rock community of Transylvania County. His column appears on BrevardBeagle.com when he can find time to write his thoughts down.