Lincoln High School in Gainesville and A.L. Mebane High School in Alachua were powerhouses on the football field and pillars of their community.
Keep scrolling to learn more about these two Black high schools that were forced to close their doors during desegregation in 1970.
A.L. Mebane High School, Alachua, Florida
A.L. Mebane High School opened its doors in 1956. It replaced the Alachua County Training School that had educated Black children since 1922.
When Alachua County schools desegregated in February of 1970, Mebane was closed and the students were sent to other schools. It later reopened as A.L. Mebane Middle School.
Image courtesy of the A.L. Mebane High School Alumni Association
These are the 1970 Fighting Hornets; the last football team at A.L. Mebane High School.
Even though Mebane only played 14 seasons before the school closed, they dominated their opponents.
According to a former student, the 1960 and 1961 teams went undefeated. During this time, the team had two head coaches: Lymus Burgess and Alvin Banks.
Image courtesy of the A.L. Mebane High School Alumni Association
Hornet pride is strong in Alachua. The A.L. Mebane High School Alumni Association still holds an annual Homecoming event every Thanksgiving weekend. Main Street fills with floats like this one as the student alumni share their pride and history with the community.
Image courtesy of the A.L. Mebane High School Alumni Association
Lincoln and A.L. Mebane High Schools often looked outside of Alachua County to find opponents in football.
But occasionally, the two powerhouse teams would face each other.
This advertisement for a game at Citizens Field was published in the Gainesville Sun in September of 1958.
It can be hard to find information on these teams because the newspapers did not always cover the Black high schools. We think that Lincoln won this matchup. Do you know the answer?
Image from the Gainesville Sun courtesy of Alfred Awbrey
Lincoln High School, Gainesville, Florida
Shortly after the end of the Civil War, Union Academy began educating Black children in Gainesville. By 1923, the new Lincoln High School had replaced it.
Nearly 800 students enrolled in the first school year and by the 1950's, the building was extremely overcrowded.
In 1956 Lincoln opened in the new facility seen in this picture. When Alachua County desegregated its schools in 1970, Lincoln closed and the students were sent to the white high schools. The building later reopened as Lincoln Middle School.
Image courtesy of the Lincoln High School Alumni Association
The Lincoln High School football program started off with a bang!
The very first team in 1923 won the state championship for Black schools. This would be the first of many championships for Lincoln over the next 45 years.
From 1933-1969, the team had a record of 297 wins, 24 losses, and 19 ties under head coaches T.B. McPherson and Jesse Heard.
Homecoming was always a big deal for Lincoln High School. Students created elaborate floats that paraded down Main Street in downtown Gainesville.
This float from 1949 carries Miss Terrier and some members of her court.
The homecoming parade usually took place in the afternoon and the game would be played later that evening.
Image courtesy of the Lincoln High School Alumni Association