On September 3, 1955, Texarkana Fire Chief C.P. Birmingham announced that he had discovered evidence of arson the Sunset Negro Elementary School in Texarkana which had burned overnight, displacing 175 African American children just days before the new school year was set to begin. The fire originated from what was initially blamed on a heating unit in the rear classrooms, but the discovery of arson evidence suggested a more sinister cause behind the destruction of this segregated educational facility.
The burning of Sunset Elementary occurred during a particularly tense period in American educational history, just one year after the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision that declared segregated schools unconstitutional. In Texarkana, as in many Texas communities, school boards were grappling with integration pressures while trying to maintain the status quo of segregation. The Texarkana school board had decided earlier in 1955 to retain segregation during the coming school year, making the timing of this suspected arson particularly significant. African American students in Texas during this era often attended severely underfunded schools with inferior facilities, textbooks, and resources compared to their white counterparts.
Following the fire, Superintendent Dale arranged for the displaced students to temporarily assemble at the school site before being bused to the nearby Jones school, where Sunset teachers would conduct classes until repairs could be completed. However, the school continued in operation for over a year before the school board even let out bidding for repairs. This incident reflected the broader challenges facing African American education in 1950s Texas, where communities had to overcome not only systemic underfunding and segregation but also, in some cases, deliberate acts of destruction targeting their educational institutions. No arrests were ever made. Sunset Elementary was the starting point for many notable African-American community leaders in Texarkana. It was also the primary school alma mater of Otis Wilson, the last surviving member of the Temptations!
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Editor Note:We continue to search for a photo of the old Sunset Elementary in Texarkana. Any leads are appreciated!
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