African American High Schools in Louisiana Before 1970

                            Violet Consolidated High School

Before 1950, St. Bernard Parish’s Black students had to attend one of the black community’s one room schools in the eastern end of the parish. There were at least five different Black communities located in St. Bernard Parish with one room schools. Some local communities did not have a school at all. Some of the names of the communities were Jill Brew, Corrineville, Homertown, Tiger Town, Fazendeville, Verretville, and Armstrong Road.

All of these communities were erased overtime. The most famous and well recognized community was Fazendeville which met its demise as late as 1964 as the US. Government needed the land for the expansion of the Chalmette Battlefield National Park.

Each of the black communities had a small one room school. Students were taught from primary (5 years old) up to the eighth grade.

Around 1950 local concern grew over the quality of these Black schools. These schools were then “consolidated” into one institution located on St. Bernard Highway in Violet. That institution was called was called Violet Consolidated Colored School. The intention was to upgrade the educational facilities for the Black community since “Separate but Equal” was proven to be “Separate”, but never “Equal”.

Violet Consolidated School opened in 1950 to educate 1st grade through 12th grade Black students. After St. Bernard Parish schools began integrating in 1965- 1966 the school became a middle school in in 1969 and was renamed Millaudon Middle School. In 1989 Millaudon Middle school became Millaudon Elementary School.

Millaudon Elementary School was renamed Willie Smith Jr. Elementary School in honor of the former long term school principal at Violet Consolidated School. Mr. Willie Smith Jr. was Violet Consolidated ‘s longest serving school principal who died in 1966.

A notable and well-known member of the faculty and Violet community was legendary coach Donald “Doc” Moore, who was the head basketball coach at Violet Consolidated School. His basketball teams won 12 consecutive Louisiana Interscholastic Athletic and Literary Organization (LIALO) District Championships, two Zone Championships, and one State Runner -Up title.

After his retirement, the St. Bernard Parish School Board unanimously proclaimed that the gymnasium at Willie Smith Jr. Elementary School be renamed and known officially as the Donald “Doc” Moore Gymnasium, in recognition of his outstanding leadership as a coach, teacher, mentor, and friend to the youth of the Violet and St. Bernard Parish communities.