Former Black school in Minter set to reopen in March as new EM Brown Community Center

There is a quiet corner of rural Dallas County that once was alive with a large school which educated hundreds of the surrounding communities’ Black residents.   

That campus in Minter, which is now the E.M. Brown Community Center, is coming back to life as the final stages of construction approaches and a grand opening is planned for mid March. It marks a major milestone in a years-long effort to restore a historic school campus and return it to community use. 

Board President Lionel Smith, who has led the project at the former Street Manual Training School since 2015, walked the grounds recently to show progress being made on the new multi-purpose facility. For Smith, the work is personal. He is both a former student of the original E.M. Brown School and one of the most dedicated caretakers of its history. 

“This school was founded by Emanuel M. Brown in 1904,” Smith said, noting that the founder’s home, built in 1906, still stands on the property. “We started from nowhere, and now we’re headed in the right direction.” 

The E.M. Brown School once served as a central institution for the surrounding Black Belt community. Several original structures remain, including the 10,000-square-foot vocational building built in 1943, which housed a cafeteria, science lab, home economics classrooms and shops for welding and carpentry. Brown said plans are to renovate that building and turn it into a flea market.  

The school operated until 1972, when the high school closed and students were transferred to Southside. Smith, who attended E.M. Brown from second through ninth grade, remembers the campus as a place of opportunity. He participated in 4-H, winning awards in public speaking and electrical projects, skills he still uses today. “I’m a jack-of-all-trades with no degree,” he said with a laugh, though he has completed much of the renovation work himself. 

The new community center is designed to serve as a gathering place for residents and a venue for events that previously required traveling to Selma. The building includes a large assembly hall seating up to 170 people, a stage and projector system and a full sound system for movies, presentations and historical displays. There is also a meeting room and office, a cafeteria, a new outdoor pavilion and men’s and women’s restrooms both in the building and in the pavilion.  

The center will be available for weddings, reunions, movie nights, football watch parties and other community events. Rental income will help sustain the facility’s utilities and maintenance. 

More from this section

Iran says US 'more realistic' on nuclear issue, as Guards begin drills in Hormuz Strait

US to discuss base with Mauritius as UK returns islands

In reversal, US agrees to review new Moderna flu shot

“We want to bring school reunions and celebrations back here,” Smith said. “People can spend their money right here in their own community.” 

Funding for the project has come from a wide network of supporters. The Black Belt Community Foundation has provided grants for chairs and tables, while Ala-Tom in Thomasville purchased the air-conditioning unit and ice maker. Local and state leaders, including Sen. Robert Stewart, Rep. Prince Chestnut, Probate Judge Jimmy Nunn and Dallas County Commissioner Connel Towns have also backed the effort. 

Community members, churches and families with ties to the school have contributed as well. One of the most meaningful connections came when Smith discovered a long-lost Purple Heart belonging to a former student, Mr. Fox, who was killed in Vietnam in 1965. After returning the medal to the family, they became active supporters of the center. 

As part of the revitalization, the campus will soon feature two historic markers, one for founder Emanuel M. Brown and another for his home. The county road leading to the site has also been renamed E.M. Brown Road, replacing its former designation as County Road 38. 

The board plans to host an open house the week after the Bridge Crossing Jubilee, which is the first week of March, allowing visitors from across the region to tour the facility and learn about the school’s legacy. 

“We’ve got a lot of extraordinary things we’re doing and giving back to the community,” Smith said. “We’re doing good, but we can do better with community help.” 

Watch a video of Lionel Smith talking about the project here.

You can find more information on the E.M. Brown Community Center Facebook page, or by calling (334) 505-7464. Donations can be made through the E.M. Brown website or by mailing contributions to E.M. Brown Community Center, P.O. Box 24, Mount Willing, AL 36761.