In February 2022, a community in Forsyth County launched The Forsyth Descendants Scholarship to honor the descendants of Black families that were expelled out of the county in 1912.
The goal of the foundation is to give each scholarship recipient up to $10,000 per year for four years depending on the person’s financial needs. This year, scholarships were provided to nine descendants to put towards their college tuition.
“It is amazing, we were so excited to do that. And hope that grows,” a member of the Forsyth County Descendant Scholarship Committee, Adrienne Hershey said.
Each recipient will also be paired with a mentor in their field of study. Hershey said that mentoring is just as important, especially with students because it broadens their network.
“It's just really important to have someone in your corner that's rooting for you in addition to your family,” Hershey said.
In order to qualify for the scholarship, applicants have to meet the following criteria:
- Have a minimum of a 2.5 GPA
- A college acceptance letter
- Proof that they are a descendant of an African American family that fled Forsyth County in 1912.
“Education is something that is actionable, a way to build generational wealth,” Hershey said.
Hershey said that the scholarship is not meant to be a repayment but rather an act of love that will be helpful to the future of these families.
“It’s not something that people want to talk about or that something anyone is proud of. But it happened and it was horrible. We still have the opportunity and duty to acknowledge it at the minimum,” Hershey said.
In September 1912, a young white woman, Mae Crow, was assaulted and later died from her injuries. A Black man, Rob Edwards, was arrested for the crime and lynched by a mob of white residents. Soon after, four other Black men were arrested. Ernest Knox and Oscar Daniel were convicted and publicly hung.
Following these events, African American churches and homes were threatened with violence if the Black residents did not leave the county immediately.
“They had to leave their jobs, their lands, their homes, their community and their churches very quickly with very little that they could carry or put on a wagon,” Hershey said.
The county remained all white until the late 80s.
According to Hershey, the foundation is always looking for help and support. For more information, you can visit their website forsythscholarship.org.
