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ORAU Diversity Council presents Scarboro 85 program featuring John Spratling

John Spratling, a social studies teacher and coach at Robertsville Middle School in Oak Ridge, will share the story of the Scarboro 85 during a virtual Black History Month event at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 24. The event is sponsored by the ORAU Diversity Council.

The Scarboro 85 were a group of African American students from Oak Ridge’s Scarboro community who were the first to desegregate what was then Robertsville Junior High School as well as Oak Ridge High School in 1955. The Oak Ridge schools were the first public schools in Tennessee and the Southeast to be desegregated.

“Not everyone knows the story of these brave students,” said Ann Gonzalez, an ORAU research associate leading the organization of this Diversity Council event. “John Spratling has made it his life’s work to preserve the history and tell the story of the Scarboro 85. We look forward to hosting a recognition of this important piece of Oak Ridge history.” 

The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required and available until it begins.

ORAU Media Contacts and Information

About ORAU

ORAU, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, provides science, health, and workforce solutions that address national priorities and serve the public interest. Through our specialized teams of experts and access to a consortium of more than 150 major Ph.D.-granting institutions, ORAU works with federal, state, local, and commercial customers to provide innovative scientific and technical solutions and help advance their missions. ORAU manages the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

Media Contacts

Pam BoneeDirector, CommunicationsCell: (865) 603-5142
Wendy WestManager, CommunicationsCell: (865) 207-7953