Lincoln Colored School Endowment

On the edge of Martin Park in Canton, MO stands a little brick building. Aside from a row of colorful glass above the entrance and a plaque indicating its historical significance, it is modest in appearance. It was here, at the Lincoln Colored School, that for seventy years African-American students in Canton seized their only opportunity for an education.

Although the Lincoln Colored School building was small and crowded, the teachers overworked, and the students lacking adequate instructional materials, the school changed lives.

Phyllis Dean wants it to continue changing lives. In the fall of 2018 she and her family organized an effort to restore the school, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. By the summer of 2019 the work was completed, thanks to the work of Phyllis’ husband and son. The restoration ensures this significant piece of Canton’s past is preserved for future generations to learn from and allow its stories to continue being told.

But, it’s not just the past that Phyllis wants to ensure. She wants to see a bright future for all African-American students in Canton. To do so, she turned to the Community Foundation to establish the Lincoln Colored School Endowment. The fund honors the legacy of the school – and those who attended it – by offering opportunity to African-American students today, tomorrow, and for years to come by permanently providing annual support to help African-American students at the Canton R-V School District in order to help break financial barriers and reach their educational and extracurricular goals.

Although students of the Lincoln Colored School may not have had the opportunities they deserved, because of their stories and Phyllis’ vision, today’s African-American students in Canton will.