Black History Month: Attucks High School was the nucleus of Liberia in Broward

HOLLYWOOD -- The City of Hollywood in Broward County was home to a vibrant historically Black community known as Liberia. 

During the 50s and 60s, it was one of the few places Black people could be authentically themselves when segregation was alive and well.

Though it's called Hollywood now, what remains of Liberia are streets and buildings that tell the story of the past. There was the Paradise Club, and as native Raymond Thomas Jr, remembers, "There was a barbershop on the end, in the middle there was a pool room, on the end, there was a small restaurant," just within city limits.

Back then there was only one police officer who patrolled Liberia. His name was R.D. Saunders, and he wasn't allowed to do the job outside of Liberia. Today, there is a center named after him that was once a place to pay bills.

While there were many symbols of segregation, there was one place where the color of your skin didn't matter, Attucks High School.

"We had everything we needed right here," said Thomas.

Attucks was the nucleus; it was the community. Thomas, his sister Joyce Thomas Grisby, and James Bowers all graduated from the high school in the late 60s.

"You cannot move forward unless you know where you've been," said Grisby.

Attucks had its last graduating high school class in 1968. It then became Attucks middle school. However, just a few short decades ago it was home to 9th through 12th graders where teachers were family and if anything happened inside the classroom, your parents were going to know about it.

"Our parents actually taught us that they wanted us to be better than what we were. So, education was high priority. In school and in church," said Grisby.

While education was the name of the game the playing field wasn't even. Attucks High often had hand-me-down books, but these three former students say that didn't prohibit them from learning.

Now the concern is preserving the legacy of their school.

"Associations on the west side of here, who have been trying, I would say for the last 8-9 nine years trying to get rid of this school, changing the boundaries, changing the name," said Bowers.

Before that happens, the three of them want people to visit the now magnet middle school and see why it's worth keeping around.

"Attucks is our legacy and we don't want to lose the history of our legacy."