THE COMMITTEE FOR THE

Jones School
Centennial
Celebration
Jones School, 1935

Mission
We aim to create a community-wide celebration of the centennial anniversary of the opening of
Jones School to recognize and honor the local history of this building and neighborhood as a
historically Black area.

Vision
We envision a future at 401 North Division that involves students and community members in the
knowing, uncovering, and retelling of the local history of this building and this neighborhood that
intentionally uplifts the hidden histories of the past.

Proposed Action Steps

In order to achieve this mission and vision, we are currently working to implement the following:
1. Foster student engagement through new course offerings at Community High School -
In the second semester of the 2021-2022 school year, we are offering an African-American
Studies course that focuses on elements of local history and Jones School, with students
working on a project to further document the history of Jones School. In the fall of 2022,
there will be a Community Resource class offered to support further student
documentation and celebration of this history through the creation of murals, guided
tours, and/or other ideas generated by students.

2. Re-dedicate the building at 401 North Division - To honor the origins of this building, we
propose dedicating the building by joining the past and present names as ‘Jones
Community High School’ for the 22/23 school year. If approved, we will hang a banner to
display this name on the outside of the building.
 3. Collaborate with other groups to get a historical marker to recognize Jones School - One
goal of this group is to raise enough funding to have a permanent historical marker, similar
to the one near Kerrytown Markets, honoring the history of Jones School and the history
of this community. We are already connected with other organizations (Ann Arbor
Historical Foundation, who have agreed to be the point for collecting/holding donations
and payments) and community members who are also VERY interested in this work and
preserving the rich history of this area.

4. Engage Community High School students and staff in understanding local history & the
100 year history of our building - Throughout 2022 and 2023, we plan to include
student-created and student-led efforts to have CHS students and staff members
participate in and contribute to local history walking tours and further exploration of the
history of this neighborhood through information in Forum Bulletin, activities in forums
and classes, etc.

5. Plan and coordinate a centennial celebration of the history of the building Jones School -
We aim to honor and uplift the history of this building through a community-wide
celebration with details to be determined. Expected ideas include work towards a
historical marker about Jones School, a 50th Anniversary celebration of the work of Dr.
Willis Patterson’s with Our Own Thing Corale, and an opportunity for local community
members to come together to reconnect with each other.

Committee Members
Cindy Haidu-Banks, Retired Community High Teacher
Joslyn Hunscher-Young, Community High Teacher & Equity Lead
Janelle Johnson, Community High Teacher & Black Student Union Advisor
Brian Williams, Community High Counselor
Helen Harding, Head of Fundraising