Speaking on the panel following the film screening of Rosenwald, from L-R:  Bullock Museum Curator James McReynolds; President of Hopewell Community Club & Hopewell Rosenwald School Community, Elroy Williams; Hopewell Rosenwald School Community Development Advisor, David Porter III; Parc Smith of American Youthworks. Courtesy: Bullock Texas State History Museum 

By Allison Teegardin 

An exhibit titled “A Better Life for Their Children: Julius Rosenwald, Booker T. Washington, and the 4,978 Schools that Changed America” is on display at the Bullock Texas State History Museum from October 19, 2024 through February 23, 2025. Photographs and stories by contemporary photographer Andrew Feiler as well as artifacts from Texas Rosenwald schools, such as a desk, vending machine and typewriter, help tell the story of the Rosenwald schools and bring awareness to an important part of Texas history. 

As part of the exhibit’s programming, a screening of “Rosenwald,” a documentary film produced by Aviva Kempner, along with a special panel discussion took place at the Bullock Texas State History Museum on Saturday, February 8, 2025. 

Speaking on the panel following the film were President of Hopewell Community Club & Hopewell Rosenwald School Community, Elroy Williams; Hopewell Rosenwald School Community Development Advisor, David Porter III; Parc Smith of American Youthworks; and Bullock Museum Curator James McReynolds. 

The 95-minute film details the life and legacy of Julius Rosenwald, a Jewish businessman, well-known for his leadership at Sears, Roebuck and Company, and philanthropist. Rosenwald was inspired by tikkun olam and donated a generous portion of his wealth to help African American communities in the segregated south.    

In 1912, Rosenwald and Booker T. Washington collaborated and developed a program to help build schools which would offer African American children the opportunity to receive quality education. What started out with an initial six Rosenwald schools ultimately resulted in close to 5,000 schools, with more than 500 in Texas, being established. The program provided more than funding; it encouraged communities to come together to help raise additional funds as well as to build the schools. 

As detailed in the film, Rosenwald’s legacy continues today through the lives and work of those who benefited from his philanthropy, including Marian Anderson, Langston Hughes, W.E.B. Du Bois, Jacob Lawrence, James Baldwin, Gordon Parks and many more.   

When the US Supreme Court declared segregation in education unconstitutional in 1954, Rosenwald schools became obsolete and over the years many would be abandoned or destroyed. However, in Cedar Creek, Texas one Rosenwald school estimated to have been built around 1920 still stands and was the focus of the panel discussion.   

 Williams shared with the audience about his experience attending a Rosenwald school as a young boy and eventually becoming a teacher himself. Williams and his late wife, Sophia Williams inherited the property from Sophia’s grandparents, former slaves, who acquired and donated it to the Hopewell Rosenwald School. The Hopewell Rosenwald School is one of the few remaining Rosenwald schools still standing in the country. 

Porter shared about the Hopewell Rosenwald School Project and the school’s restoration journey while Smith discussed the role American Youthworks has played as a partner in the restoration project. While much has been accomplished, there is still work in progress, including building a community center. 

The screening concluded with a Q&A from the audience.