Laurence C. Jones
(1882-1975)

Laurence Clifton Jones (1882 – 1975) was born into an affluent Midwestern Black family and graduated from the University of Iowa in 1907. The enterprising young scholar had opportunities to start a career in business, higher education, or even musical performance. Instead, he traveled to the Deep South and founded a school to educate the children and grandchildren of slaves in Mississippi. In this lesson, discover the inspiring vision that led Jones to a life of service, and meet the community members, students, teachers, and supporters who helped him build The Piney Woods School.

After you download the lesson, be sure to launch the Teacher’s Guide for a lesson plan and a plethora of supplemental materials, including case studies, documents-based questions, assessment tools, and more. For the K-8 crowd, we even have coloring pages!

Questions or feedback? Please email us: educate@woodsoncenter.org