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In 1979, Memphis ] chair ] noted that Briarcrest had never enrolled a black student and described the school as a "bastion of white segregation in a city with a 40% black population".<ref> {{cite magazine|work = ]| date= January 4, 1979| title=Baptist School Groups Denies Racial Bias|page = 7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZUIDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA7|publisher= ]}}</ref> In 1979, Memphis ] chair ] noted that Briarcrest had never enrolled a black student and described the school as a "bastion of white segregation in a city with a 40% black population".<ref> {{cite magazine|work = ]| date= January 4, 1979| title=Baptist School Groups Denies Racial Bias|page = 7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZUIDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA7|publisher= ]}}</ref>


In 1984, W. Wayne Allen, the chairman of the school's board, was the defendant in the ] case '']''.<ref name=allen>''Allen v. Wright'', </ref> Allen was sued in his official capacity by black parents who felt that IRS should revoke Briarcrest's tax exempt status due to its alleged discriminatory policies. The court held that individual citizens did not have ] to challenge the IRS's determination that Briarcrest Christian School had a racially non-discriminatory admissions policy and was thus eligible for ].<ref name=allen/> After the court issued its ruling, Allen told the ] that he was glad the tax code could not be "used as a weapon" by those who disagreed with the school's "policies or politics."<ref>{{cite news|date =July 5, 1984| newspaper = The Tennessean | page= 9 |title= Parent calls decision 'Wrong' in tax exemption challenge| url = https://www.newspapers.com/image/112327682/ | via= ]}}</ref> In 1984, W. Wayne Allen, the chairman of the school's board, was the defendant in the ] case '']''.<ref name=allen>''Allen v. Wright'', </ref> Allen was sued in his official capacity by black parents who felt that the IRS should revoke Briarcrest's ] due to its alleged discriminatory policies. The court held that individual citizens did not have ] to challenge the IRS's determination that Briarcrest Christian School had a racially non-discriminatory admissions policy and was thus eligible for tax-exempt status.<ref name=allen/> After the court issued its ruling, Allen told the ] that he was glad the tax code could not be "used as a weapon" by those who disagreed with the school's "policies or politics."<ref>{{cite news|date =July 5, 1984| newspaper = The Tennessean | page= 9 |title= Parent calls decision 'Wrong' in tax exemption challenge| url = https://www.newspapers.com/image/112327682/ | via= ]}}</ref>


In 2009, Briarcrest's reputation for racial segregation was the basis for the fictional ''Wingate Christian School'' portrayed in the film '']''.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ceFRDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT85&lpg=PT85|title=Football, Culture and Power|last=Leonard|first=David J.|last2=George|first2=Kimberly B.|last3=Davis|first3=Wade|date=2016-10-14|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317410881|page=85|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-66170-4_4|title=Black Masculinity and the Cinema of Policing|last=Sexton|first=Jared|date=2017|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan, Cham|isbn=9783319661698|pages=89–120|language=en|doi=10.1007/978-3-319-66170-4_4}}</ref> Briarcrest officials said they did not permit the use of the school's real name because they felt that the script took excessive ].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://archive.commercialappeal.com/entertainment/briarcrest-opted-out-of-feature-role-in-the-blind-side-ep-393169786-324250181.html/|title=Briarcrest opted out of feature role in 'The Blind Side'|access-date=2018-05-02|language=en |first=Don| last=Wade| date = November 24, 2009| newspaper = ]}}</ref> In 2009, Briarcrest's reputation for racial segregation was the basis for the fictional ''Wingate Christian School'' portrayed in the film '']''.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ceFRDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT85&lpg=PT85|title=Football, Culture and Power|last=Leonard|first=David J.|last2=George|first2=Kimberly B.|last3=Davis|first3=Wade|date=2016-10-14|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317410881|page=85|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-66170-4_4|title=Black Masculinity and the Cinema of Policing|last=Sexton|first=Jared|date=2017|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan, Cham|isbn=9783319661698|pages=89–120|language=en|doi=10.1007/978-3-319-66170-4_4}}</ref> Briarcrest officials said they did not permit the use of the school's real name because they felt that the script took excessive ].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://archive.commercialappeal.com/entertainment/briarcrest-opted-out-of-feature-role-in-the-blind-side-ep-393169786-324250181.html/|title=Briarcrest opted out of feature role in 'The Blind Side'|access-date=2018-05-02|language=en |first=Don| last=Wade| date = November 24, 2009| newspaper = ]}}</ref>

Revision as of 04:08, 4 May 2018

Private coeducational school in Eads and Memphis, Tennessee
Briarcrest Christian School
File:EnhancedBriarcrestLogo.png
Location
Eads and Memphis, Tennessee
Coordinates35°06′52″N 89°51′59″W / 35.1145364°N 89.8663037°W / 35.1145364; -89.8663037
Information
School typePrivate coeducational
MottoWith Men, This Is Impossible; But With God, All Things Are Possible. Matthew 19:26
Religious affiliation(s)Non-denominational Christian
Established1973
PrincipalEric Sullivan
GradesPK–12
Enrollment1600
Color(s)Green and gold    
NicknameSaints
Websitewww.briarcrest.com

Briarcrest Christian School is an private, coeducational, college preparatory Christian school with two campuses in Shelby County, Tennessee. The school was founded in 1973 as a segregation academy in response to the racial desegregation of Memphis City Schools.

History

In 1973, 11 Baptist churches established the Briarcrest Baptist School System as a system of segregation academies in response to the court-ordered busing racial integration of public schools. The chairman of the school board stated that black students were "pressured into staying away, feeling they'd be Uncle Toms if they came." The headmaster explained that teachers left public schools for jobs at Briarcrest because they wanted to be "back among their own" with "less fear, less culture shock" and more "cultural homogeneity".

Programs for kindergarten through grade 8 began in 1973 and a program for grades 9–12 was added in 1974. In its early years, Briarcrest maintained as many as 12 locations in Southern Baptist churches throughout the Memphis area. In 1989 the school split from the founding church and re-chartered as an independent school with its current name, Briarcrest Christian School. Over the next 20 years, Briarcrest Christian School grew to 1,600 students and invested $43 million in building its campus.

In 1979, Memphis NAACP chair Maxine Smith noted that Briarcrest had never enrolled a black student and described the school as a "bastion of white segregation in a city with a 40% black population".

In 1984, W. Wayne Allen, the chairman of the school's board, was the defendant in the Supreme Court case Allen v. Wright. Allen was sued in his official capacity by black parents who felt that the IRS should revoke Briarcrest's tax-exempt status due to its alleged discriminatory policies. The court held that individual citizens did not have standing to challenge the IRS's determination that Briarcrest Christian School had a racially non-discriminatory admissions policy and was thus eligible for tax-exempt status. After the court issued its ruling, Allen told the UPI that he was glad the tax code could not be "used as a weapon" by those who disagreed with the school's "policies or politics."

In 2009, Briarcrest's reputation for racial segregation was the basis for the fictional Wingate Christian School portrayed in the film The Blind Side. Briarcrest officials said they did not permit the use of the school's real name because they felt that the script took excessive artistic license.

Facilities

Main entrance to East Memphis campus

The Memphis campus serves pre-k through grade 5 and the and Eads campus serves pre-k through grade 12.

Program

Briarcrest is a Non-denominational Christian. Christian values and biblical morals are taught and practiced throughout the program. All students attend weekly chapel services, study the Bible and are encouraged to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Briarcrest offers honors, advanced placement and dual enrollment classes. Fine arts programs begin in preschool and continue through grade 12 in visual arts, choral music, instrumental music, general music, and theater arts.

Accreditation and affiliations

The school has dual accreditation from the Southern Association of Independent Schools and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Briarcrest is also a member of the Association of Christian Schools International, Tennessee Association of Independent Schools, Memphis Association of Independent Schools, and the College Board.

Sports

Briarcrest participates in Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) Division II West AA for large schools, competing with both private and public schools in the region. Since 1998, Briarcrest has won nine state championships (six of which, two in football and four in girls' basketball, were coached by former Ole Miss football coach Hugh Freeze). The school offers athletic programs, including marching band, football, baseball, basketball, wrestling, cross country, golf, bowling, swimming, trap shooting, softball, lacrosse, soccer, volleyball, track, tennis, and cheerleading.

Notable people

References

  1. ^ Nevin, David; Bills, Robert (1976). The schools that fear built: segregationist academies in the South. Washington: Acropolis Books. p. 54. ISBN 0874911796.
  2. Kravitz, Mark R; Mutter, Carol A (1974). "Desegregation of Private Schools: Section 1981 as an Alternative to State Action". Georgetown Law Journal. 62: 1363. Retrieved 2018-05-01. The term "segregation academy" in the South has come to mean an institution which is one of "a system of private schools operated on a racially segregated basis as an alternative available to white students seeking to avoid desegregated public schools... Some private white schools are well-equipped and boast an excellent staff. For example, the Briarcrest Baptist School System, Inc., in Memphis, Tennessee, offers all the standard academic subjects in addition to religious training. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  3. ^ Crespino, Joseph (2007). In Search of Another Country: Mississippi and the Conservative Counterrevolution. Princeton University Press. p. 248. ISBN 0691122091.
  4. Wade, Don (February 3, 2010). "Briarcrest sees more growth in future". The Commercial Appeal. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012.
  5. "Baptist School Groups Denies Racial Bias". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. January 4, 1979. p. 7.
  6. ^ Allen v. Wright, 468 US 737
  7. "Parent calls decision 'Wrong' in tax exemption challenge". The Tennessean. July 5, 1984. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. Leonard, David J.; George, Kimberly B.; Davis, Wade (2016-10-14). Football, Culture and Power. Routledge. p. 85. ISBN 9781317410881.
  9. Sexton, Jared (2017). Black Masculinity and the Cinema of Policing. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. pp. 89–120. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-66170-4_4. ISBN 9783319661698.
  10. Wade, Don (November 24, 2009). "Briarcrest opted out of feature role in 'The Blind Side'". Memphis Commercial Appeal. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
  11. Holthouse, David (October 1, 2007). "Racist Memphis Radio Host Celebrated at Council of Conservative Citizens Conference". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
  12. Cacciola, Scott (21 October 2014). "Hugh Freeze, Coach at Ole Miss, Follows an Unlikely Blueprint". NY Times. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  13. Greg Hardy. "Greg Hardy, DE for the Carolina Panthers at". Nfl.com. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  14. "409: Site not active". Suburbancommunitynews.com. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  15. Archived March 13, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  16. Borzello, Jeff (November 5, 2012). "Austin Nichols surprisingly chooses Memphis over Tennessee". CBS Sports. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
  17. Michael Oher (1986-05-28). "Michael Oher, T for the Baltimore Ravens at". Nfl.com. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  18. Holmes, Linda (2011-02-08). "Beyond 'The Blind Side,' Michael Oher Rewrites His Own Story : Monkey See". NPR. Retrieved 2012-12-26.

External links

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