Augusta’s Black History: Lucy C. Laney’s lasting impact in Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Lucy Craft Laney is buried in front of the high school that bears her name — and the institution she founded more than 140 years ago is still educating the Augusta community today.

Dr. Cordaryl Middleton, principal of Lucy C. Laney High School, said he passes her burial site at the front of the school every day.

“It makes me feel special knowing that we have a physical lady who gave birth to all of this,” Middleton said. “Her spirit is here with us as we continue to educate our kids.”

Laney was born in Macon, Georgia, in 1854. Her father had purchased freedom for himself and his wife before her birth. She learned to read and write at an early age and later enrolled in the first class of Atlanta University, known today as Clark Atlanta University.

In 1883, Laney started a school in the basement of Christ Presbyterian Church with a handful of children. Three years later, she chartered the Haines Normal and Industrial Institute. To fund the school’s growth, Laney traveled north in 1886 to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to meet with the Presbyterian assembly.

Augusta’s Black History:

“This trip that she made in 1886 to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to meet with the Presbyterian assembly and it was through that trip she met Francine Haines,” said Corey Rogers, executive director of the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History. “She gave Laney access.”

The school, named for benefactor Francine Haines, grew to offer kindergarten through junior college, teacher training, and the Lamar School of Nursing. It also served as a cultural center for Augusta’s African American community. Rogers said support for the school extended well beyond a single donor.

“So it wasn’t just northern Presbyterians assisting Laney,” Rogers said. “It was southern black doctors, nurses, dentists, college professors, your average everyday person investing in these schools.”

The Haines Normal and Industrial Institute operated until 1949, when it was replaced by the present Laney High School, built on the same ground where Laney first established her mission.

Today, Laney’s name is attached to schools in two states. An elementary school in Minneapolis, Minnesota, carries her name, as does the high school in Augusta built on the site of her original institute. Rogers, who leads the museum housed in Laney’s former home, said the history belongs to all of Augusta.

“This is Augusta’s history,” Rogers said. “It’s told from a specific perspective, but this history that we’ve been telling for the past 35 years is for all Augustans to appreciate, to celebrate, and to acknowledge.”

Middleton said Laney’s example remains central to the school’s mission.

“Ms. Laney was a pioneer in education, instilling in our students that education is a very important gateway to anything in life,” Middleton said.

The Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History is open to the public.

Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.