South Boston, Virginia

Many churches in the second half of the 19th century and early part of the 20th century helped fill African Americans’ need for schooling. Frequently the church would raise funds to build the school, with county governments occasionally offering some limited financial assistance. Parents donated much of the building labor and materials. They were also largely responsible for land and building maintenance once the school was built.

The Mizpah Presbyterian Church, founded in 1890, is an example of such a collaboration. In 1901 the Mizpah School was constructed on the land where the church still stands. The school served local black children in grades one through seven. Teachers were poorly paid, often living with students’ parents and moving from one family to another. For their board they were expected to keep up the maintenance of the school building by sweeping, applying oil to the floors to keep the dust down, shoveling coal or putting wood in the stove, and simultaneously supervising the children. They were, however, highly respected in their community and looked to for leadership.

Because the school was connected with the church, students not only studied the “three r’s” but also memorized Bible verses and sang hymns and songs. Many families relied on their children to work the fields with them, though, so the school year was seldom more than four or five months long, and absenteeism was high.

In 1935 the Mizpah School was converted to a community day care facility, one of the first at that time in Southside Virginia.

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The Honorable William A. Kent (1914-1993) served for many years as church elder and clerk of the session.

Mr. Kent became the first African American elected to public office in South Boston when he joined the city council in 1969. His service on the city council included eight years as vice-mayor and four years as the first African American mayor. He retired in 1990 as mayor.

Mr. Kent was a mortician by profession and owner/operator of Kent’s Funeral Service in South Boston.

William A. Kent photo courtesy of Melvin C. Kent

Marker is at the intersection of Ragland Street and Watkins Avenue, on the left when traveling east on Ragland Street.

Courtesy hmdb.org

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