Baldwin County Black Education Museum to hold centennial celebration Saturday

DAPHNE, Ala. (WALA) - The Baldwin County Black Education Museum on Thomas Avenue in Daphne will hold an outdoor celebration Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, in honor of 100 years of Black History recognition.

The museum was once the Baldwin County Training School, originally built as a two-room private school in 1889. It became the county’s school for Black children in 1927 and later served as the only Black high school in Baldwin County through 1950. The original building has since been replaced by the single-story structure that stands today.

About the event

The celebration will be held Saturday from 4-6 p.m. on the grounds behind William Carroll Elementary. Little J’s Southern Cooking food truck will be on site, along with outdoor games and a mural painting session.

Organizer’s message

Ashanti Ash, a Fairhope High School and Howard University graduate, is a museum volunteer and one of the organizers of Saturday’s event. Her family has been in Baldwin County for six generations, and her great-grandfather was a student at the school.

“It eventually, you know, evolved into this huge campus that was on this property, so I think that it was really special how they were committed to the education and honestly, the overall betterment of those children,” Ash said.

Ash said the school provided more than academics to its students.

“They still get together for reunions and I think it was overall a really safe space. They learned. They got their education, you know, reading, writing, mathematics but I think what was really important is that the administrators were also teaching them skills on how to navigate the world, especially in the time that they lived in,” she said.

Ash said the event is intended to honor the school’s legacy and the broader African American community in the county.

“This is going to be a celebration for the community to commemorate the achievements of not only Baldwin County Training School and its alumni and its descendants but also celebrate the rich history of the African American community in Baldwin County,” Ash said.