Lincoln High School (Dallas, Texas)

Lincoln High School (Dallas, Texas). Located in southern Dallas, it is a comprehensive public high school within the Dallas Independent School District. Founded in 1939, it was the first secondary school in the city built for African Americans during the era of segregation. The school is named for Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States.

History

The school opened in 1939 as the second Lincoln High School in the city, succeeding an earlier facility that became Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. It served as a cornerstone of the South Dallas community, educating generations of African-American students during the period of state-sanctioned segregation. Following the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision, the school began a gradual process of desegregation in the late 1960s. The original campus was replaced with a new facility, which opened in 2006 as part of a district-wide bond issue for school reconstruction.

Campus

The modern campus, opened in 2006, is situated on the site of the original school at the intersection of Interstate 45 and Robert B. Cullum Boulevard. The facility was designed by the architectural firm Corgan and features specialized spaces for its academic programs. These include a broadcast studio for its media program and laboratories supporting its STEM curriculum. The campus also houses a Planetarium and an Auditorium used for both school and community events.

Academics

Lincoln High School offers a standard state-approved curriculum alongside several specialized programs. It hosts a STEM magnet program designed to prepare students for careers in technical fields. The school also features a nationally recognized JROTC program and provides Advanced Placement courses for college credit. In partnership with Mountain View College, a campus of the Dallas College system, it offers Dual credit opportunities allowing students to earn both high school and college credits simultaneously.

Athletics

The school's athletic teams, known as the Tigers, compete in UIL classifications. Lincoln fields teams in sports including football, basketball, track and field, and soccer. The football team has a storied history, having won multiple state championships in the 1950s under legendary coach Herman D. Moore. The boys' basketball program has also seen significant success, making several appearances in the UIL State Basketball Tournament.

Notable alumni

Lincoln High School has produced a distinguished roster of graduates who have excelled in diverse fields. In sports, alumni include Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Floyd Little and Major League Baseball player Gary Redus. The arts are represented by Grammy Award-winning musician and producer David "Fathead" Newman and blues guitarist Freddie King. Notable figures in civil rights and public service include Dallas city council member Diane Ragsdale and educator L. Clifford Davis.

Demographics

As a school within the urban Dallas Independent School District, Lincoln's student body is predominantly African American. The demographic profile also includes significant populations of Hispanic and White students, reflecting the broader demographic shifts of the surrounding South Dallas area. The school serves a socioeconomically diverse population, with a substantial percentage of students qualifying for the free and reduced-price lunch program.