Teaching important lessons in a contentious climate
Division Street, Town Clock serve as centers for understanding, history
DANIEL SUDDEATH Daniel. suddeath @ newsandtribune. com
The silence was how Vic Megenity knew something was wrong.
Megenity taught history at Scribner Middle School in New Albany for more than four decades. During his tenure, he became friends with the school’ s secretary, Kathryn Hickerson. She was“ always cutting up,” Megenity recalled, especially during lunchtime with staff members when Hickerson would entertain her coworkers with jokes and plenty of laughter.
But on this day, in 1995, Hickerson didn’ t have anything to say. Megenity asked her what was wrong, and she barely responded.
“ I’ ve never heard her talk like that before,” Megenity said.
His inquiries eventually prodded an answer out of Hickerson.
“ They’ re going to tear down my little school,” she told Megenity.
That“ little school” was Division Street. From 1885 to 1946, it was a segregated school for Black children. Hickerson attended the school as a child, and it held a special place in her heart.
But in 1995, the school building was in disrepair. The school system had used it as a maintenance shop, but it was on the verge of ruin. Cardboard inserts were placed where windows should have been. When Megenity stopped by to check out the structure, he wasn’ t allowed into the basement due to standing water.
“ It was absolutely horrendous,” Megenity recalled.
The next day, he went back to Hickerson to give her his report. The likelihood of salvaging the building wasn’ t good.
“ With tears in her eyes, she said,‘ Vic, would you help me save my little school’,” Megenity said of Hickerson’ s response.
“ I couldn’ t say no to Kathryn. She was such a nice lady.”
The school system agreed to lease the building to Megenity and Hickerson for $ 1 a year, but they would have to find the funds to restore it. They formed a board and brought in an architect to evaluate Division Street. The good news
10 DIVERSITY July | August 2025