A crowd of more than 200 people gathered this morning at A.K. Bissell Park for the groundbreaking of the Scarboro 85 Monument. The permanent tribute honors the 85 Black students from Oak Ridge’s Scarboro community who desegregated local public schools on September 6, 1955, stepping into previously all-white classrooms at Oak Ridge High School and Robertsville Junior High School.

Tennessee Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally and Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch addressed attendees at the morning ceremony, celebrating the milestone in a years-long community effort. Project originator John Spratlin credited the milestone to dedicated volunteers and expressed gratitude for the collective work behind the monument’s development.

The monument will stand as a permanent historic landmark recognizing the students’ pivotal role in civil rights history across the Southeast.