History

New Zion historian shares the legacy of Walker-Gamble School in new book

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The eleven ceremonial shovelers, each topped with white construction hats, stood tall in the moist soil under the gray overcast skies. The audience was filled with dignitaries, including school administrators, school district personnel, county legislative representatives, and other elected officials. Seventy-one years after East Clarendon School District #3 broke ground on the Walker-Gamble School, they had come together in the year 2024 to witness the groundbreaking ceremony for what would become a new facility for Walker-Gamble Elementary School. The new school would reflect a modern design in school facilities, complete with technological resources that were unheard of when Walker-Gamble School was built in 1953. Most significant was that plans for the new building would locate the school in Turbeville, far from its original roots in New Zion. The occasion held a special meaning for the families of Silas Walker and Charlie Gamble, who were also in attendance, many of whom were three to four generations removed from the men who provided the property on which the original Walker-Gamble School was built.

For Dr. Diane Burnette, Walker-Gamble School is much more than a piece of history. It is her history. The school, founded in 1953 as the only public school for African Americans in Eastern Clarendon County, was built on land donated by her grandfather, Silas Walker, and Charlie Gamble, two men whose vision for education shaped the lives of countless children.

“My grandparents were a big part of that because the school shares the name with Mr. Charlie Gamble and his family,” Burnette said. “They weren’t doing it for recognition. They were simply doing what was in their power to provide an education for Black children in Eastern Clarendon County.”

Burnette’s parents, Murray and Jannie Montgomery, were founding faculty members at Walker-Gamble School, dedicating their entire teaching careers to educating African American students during segregation. “They taught for 30 years,” she said. “Their work, and that of other educators, inspired me to preserve this history.”

Her book, Bright Gold and Blue: An Intimate History of the Walker-Gamble School, 1953–1970, reflects Burnette’s personal connection to the school and its role as a pillar for the community. She began researching the book in 2010 and spent over a decade gathering information from archives in New York, Columbia, and Clarendon County. “The research was extensive,” Burnette explained. “I reviewed early copies of East Clarendon School District 3 Board of Trustee meeting minutes over a 10-year period, starting from the late 1950s up through the end of the 1960s.”

Life for Black families and the fight for education

Walker-Gamble was a source of pride and opportunity for Black families in New Zion, Turbeville, and Gable. “I wanted to give the reader a sense of what life was like on the other side of Clarendon County,” Burnette said. “The community faced significant demographic and economic challenges, but parents were incredibly supportive of education because they saw it as the best way to improve their children’s lives.”

Burnette traces the origins of Walker-Gamble back to one- and two-room community schools that existed before 1953. In her book, she captures the early years of Walker-Gamble, including its growth and the contributions of figures like Walker and Gamble, who worked tirelessly to ensure Black children had access to education despite systemic inequalities.

“The school became a part of the community, and the community became part of the school,” Burnette said. “It represented the enduring dreams, ambitions, and hopes of a people who struggled for equality and dignity.”

Walker-Gamble and Briggs v. Elliott

Burnette’s research shares another perspective on the events in Clarendon County during the same era as the landmark Briggs v. Elliott case in Summerton, which became one of the cases leading to the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision. While Briggs v. Elliott focused national attention on the fight for educational equality and brought significant backlash to Black families in Summerton, Bright Gold and Blue sheds light on the experiences of African Americans in Eastern Clarendon County.

Her book places the story of Walker-Gamble within the broader context of national and global events, including the Civil Rights Movement, the Cold War, and the Vietnam War. "One of the things that I argue is that we cannot look at the events about the birth of Walker-Gamble and the life of Walker-Gamble within a silo," she said. "Those years, 1953 to 1970, happened within a county, within a state, within a world."

Despite the unique challenges faced in Eastern Clarendon, Burnette focuses on how Walker-Gamble’s history reflects the enduring dreams and ambitions of a community determined to rise above adversity. “Walker-Gamble School stood as a lasting legacy that represented the aspirations of a community,” she said. “Their place in history endures throughout generations past, present, and future.”

Looking ahead

Burnette hopes Bright Gold and Blue will preserve the legacy of Walker-Gamble and inspire others to recognize the importance of African American history. “There’s so much going on in the world right now where African American history is trying to be erased,” she said. “African American education history is a part of American history. There’s nothing to be ashamed about it.”

Burnette’s future projects include a collection of essays about growing up in New Zion during the 1960s and a follow-up book exploring life after Walker-Gamble, focusing on the integration of schools in Eastern Clarendon County. “My books focus on stories of African Americans living in rural areas of the South,” she said. “I hope everyone will follow me as I go through my writing journey.”

Burnette’s publishing company, New Zion Stories LLC, will soon launch a website to showcase her work. For now, Bright Gold and Blue is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats.

For Burnette, the story of Walker-Gamble is deeply personal, yet universal in its themes of hope, determination, and community strength. 

“This book, to me, firmly places and gives a lasting testimony to a school that reflected the sacrifice and contributions of a community of people who were faithful, who saw education as important and wanted the best that they could provide for their children.”