Lucy Craft Laney was born in Macon April 13, 1854, to Louisa and David Laney. Her father, born a slave, was a Presbyterian minister and skilled carpenter who had purchased his freedom 20 years prior to Lucy’s birth. This was no small task in the early 19th Century, but David wouldn’t be happy until he had also purchased Louisa’s freedom.
Lucy would be one of 11 children having six sisters and four brothers.
At the time of her birth, it was illegal for slaves to be taught to read; however, with the assistance of Mrs. Campbell, the slave owner’s sister, she could read by the age of 4 and write by the time she was 12, even being able to translate Latin. She would attend Lewis High School in Macon, and by 1869, at the age of 15, she would attend Atlanta University to be a part of its first class.
After attending Atlanta University, Lucy would teach school for 10 years in Macon, Milledgeville, Savannah and Augusta before opening her own school in 1883. Pay ledgers for the Jones County Board of Education show that Lucy also taught school in Jones County to some extent from 1878 through 1880. Lucy’s sister, Margaret, better known as Maggie, taught school in Jones County also. Maggie would later marry Holmes Califf and live in Clinton.
Lucy’s school started out in the basement of Christ Presbyterian Church in Augusta.
Originally meant to be a girls’ school, boys began attending, and she accepted them also.
By the end of the second year, Lucy had more than 200 African American students in her school.
Francine E. H. Haines, a lifetime benefactor, donated $10,000 to start the school, and by the end of its third year of operation, the state licensed it the Haines Normal and Industrial Institute.
In the 1890s the institute was the first school in the state of Georgia to offer kindergarten classes to African American children. By 1912, more than 900 children were enrolled at the school, which had 34 teachers.
A graduate of the Haines Institute, Mary Bethune commented on working with Lucy after she finished school.
“Lucy Laney with her spirit of service, quick steps, determination, will, alert mind, again demonstrated to me that it could be done,” she said.
“I studied her, watched her every move and gave myself full to the cause she represented.”
Laney High School is a public high school located in the Laney-Walker district of Augusta. In 1949, A. R. Johnson and Haines Normal and Industrial Institute came together to form what is now known as Lucy Craft Laney Comprehensive High School. With this merger of schools, the wildcat was chosen as the mascot, and the school colors would be red and grey.
In 1974, Georgia Gov.
Jimmy Carter, selected Lucy Craft Laney, the Rev. Henry McNeal Turner and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to be the first African Americans to have their portraits in the Georgia State Capital.
Lucy was inducted into the Georgia Women of Achievement in 1992.
After a life of selfless dedication to the education of her people, Lucy died Oct. 23, 1933, from nephritis and hypertension.
– Story contributed by Jones County History & Heritage, Inc. from Volume I, The 107 Story, a publication of Jones County H&H. The group meets on the second Thursday evening of each month, for information on attending, call 478-214-0687.
