CLEARWATER, Fla. — Between 1934 and 1968, Pinellas High School was one of the only places for African Americans to earn a diploma in Pinellas County.
"All of that history is lost. Most of the instructors are no longer living that taught at that school that all of us remember,” said Eleanor Breland, class of 1965.
Audrey Hipps from the class of 1965 said the district didn't even have a record of the school when she tried to get a copy of her diploma. It read Pinellas Park High School instead. She got it corrected but said it happened again when she needed another copy.
Graduates who gathered Thursday at the North Greenwood Library in Clearwater said they want the district to do a better job of restoring the school’s history so it is not erased.
"It shows a total lack of respect for individuals and collectively for a people,” said Breland.
Graduates also wonder about memorabilia and awards from the school. They say they don’t know where to find records about the school’s accomplishments.
After integration, Pinellas High School later became Clearwater Intermediate School. The building sits on property near a former African American cemetery along Holt Avenue. Today, that property is also owned by Pinellas County Schools.
While city commission documents say some of the graves were moved, neighbors say they believe many are still there.
RELATED: Maps confirm cemetery existed on Clearwater school property, but were graves properly removed?
The school district said it is working with the NAACP on this issue.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article stated the old Pinellas High School building was set to be torn down. The district says the building will stand.
Emerald Morrow is a reporter with 10News WTSP. Like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter. You can also email her at emorrow@wtsp.com. To read more about the search for lost African American burial grounds in the Tampa Bay area, head to wtsp.com/erased.
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