ROCK HILL, S.C. — Rock Hill Schools voted this week to name the welcome center at Northwestern High School after Samuel Foster, a 93-year-old educator who was the first Black principal of a fully integrated high school in South Carolina. Foster began his tenure when the York County school first opened in 1971.
The naming of the welcome center is a rare exception for the district, which follows a long-standing policy against naming its facilities after individuals.
School board members suspended the rule specifically to recognize Foster’s legacy as a leader who guided the school through its first years of integration.
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The Rock Hill Schools Board of Trustees finalized the decision to honor Foster during a meeting this week. While the district maintains a strict policy against naming its facilities after people, board members determined Foster’s historical contributions warranted a rare exception. The district immediately reinstated the naming policy following the vote.
Foster became the first Black principal of a fully integrated high school in South Carolina when Northwestern opened in 1971.
He recalled that the integration process faced significant challenges from the local community at the time. “When this school was built, there were a lot of people in the community who didn’t want it,” Foster said.
Despite that resistance, Foster said he viewed his leadership as a way to help move the country toward its social ideals.
“I saw the opportunity of coming to Northwestern as an opportunity to do what the nation strives to be. Become a more perfect union, all right?” Foster said.
Foster explained that he felt it was necessary to take the position so that Black students would have a mentor to look up to during the transition.
“I ultimately chose to follow the route to Northwestern simply because I knew that if I not done so, some of our kids, perhaps all of our kids, making the transition wouldn’t have anybody to look at,” Foster said. He noted that students needed someone to encourage them and provide a sense of direction during the transition.
Reflecting on his career, Foster stated that he discovered students value safety and fairness above all else. He said that children care most about having a safe atmosphere and programs that help them succeed while allowing them to have fun. Foster expressed that he felt honored by the district’s recognition of his work.
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