By Chris Eckl

Negroes in Brooklyn, a slum area of Atlanta, became convinced in 1964 that education was the only way they could overcome poverty, and their desire to learn also opened the door for illiterate whites.

Out of their desire to improve themselves and dialogue with members of the United Churchwomen of Athens and St. Joseph’s Church grew the Athens Community Adult High School, Inc., which has received $56,591 from the Office of Economic Opportunity to continue its work.

A week after Negroes and whites talked about education, a class for illiterates began in Brooklyn. Within a month it developed into a three-level program -- illiteracy to third grade, grades four through six and grades seven and eight.

The classes were moved to St. Joseph’s School and whites began to take part. When Clarke County received poverty funds, the program was moved to the high school where classes for whites and Negroes are held two nights a week.

“However, the poor saw there was a void between the ninth and 12 grades,” said Father John Mulroy, pastor of St. Joseph’s, as he discussed the program. “About 40 percent of all adults -- white and Negro -- in Clarke County dropped out of school between the ninth and 12th grades and the percentage was even higher in surrounding counties.” “Many of them wanted to return to high school but there was no program available so concerned citizens went to work,” he said.

St. Joseph’s School was made available to the group and night classes began on two levels -- grades nine and ten, grades 11 and 12. The program used by the Armed Forces was instituted, the school was incorporated and funding from the OEO was requested. Sen. Richard Russell announced the grant last week.

The money will provide for rental of a store in downtown Athens, the employment of a director, social worker, a coordinator of testing and counseling, three social worker aids and a secretary. Money will also be used for textbooks and to pay fees to take examinations for the equivalent of a high school diploma. Volunteer teachers will run the program. They have been asked to give one hour each week to teach 20 adults.

Officers of the school’s board of directors are Superior Court Judge James Barrow, president; Father Mulroy, vice president; Mrs. Paul Deutschberger, a leader in the Jewish community, secretary; Dr. William White, professor of education psychology at the University of Georgia, treasurer.

Other board members are Mrs. Jack Boyce, president of the United Churchwomen; Drs. Al Grzenda and Jerry Lauer of the Southeastern Water Laboratory; Harvey Wilson and Mrs. John Barnett, students at the adult high school; Mrs. Thomas Rigney, president of the St. Mary’s Hospital Auxiliary; and Mrs. Rosa Rittenbury of the United Churchwomen.

Father Mulroy said, “When the Negro parish in Brooklyn was abandoned, the work of Father Dale Freeman, who lived there, did not end. It has blossomed into a program that now benefits all citizens and we have a Friendship Center to serve the neighborhood.”