Logo and Crest Unveiled for the A and T Four Middle College at North Carolina A and T

Greensboro, N.C. – Students at A and T Four Middle College at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical (NC A and T) State University started the year with a new name, new distinction, and with the echoes of local leaders and historical figures in their ears.

At a ceremony on August 4, students unveiled the school’s new crest and logo that pays tribute to the four men who started the sit-in movement in downtown Greensboro on February 1, 1960.

As students pulled back a velvet curtain, proud family members and an excited audience marveled at the iconic silhouettes of the A and T Four displayed in the new crest and logo. “Today’s young people were made by the history the A and T Four created,” said Dr. Sharon Contreras, Superintendent of Guilford County Schools. I am proud to have been involved in ensuring that their legacy is properly preserved and honored by Guilford County Schools.”

Family members representing the A and T Four acknowledged this historic moment in the life of the middle college. “You are the dream of our ancestors. You are the dream of the A and T Four. You are the very reason that those four students, including my father, decided to sit down on February 1, 1960,” said Franklin McCain, Jr.

The school was created and steeped in history. The school is located on the campus of the largest Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in the country and is the first all-male public high school in the state.

North Carolina A and T’s Chancellor Harold Martin recalled the moment the school’s namesakes made history just a few miles away from the university he now leads. “Their actions were not just brave, they were inspiring, especially for kids like me,” said Chancellor Martin. “They showed us that teenagers, yes, even teenagers, could take a stand and change the world. It is truly inspiring to see their legacy manifested in each of these incredible young men as students in this school.”

The renaming of the A and T Four Middle College is just one of several schools in the district to receive a name honoring a historical figure. When built, a planned K-8 school will be named Katherine G. Johnson School for Science and Mathematics, after the famed NASA mathematician. The school will be the first school in the district named after an African American woman. Similarly, a new school in High Point will be called the Sylvia Mendez Newcomers School, after the renowned civil rights activist. Sylvia Mendez Newcomers School will be the first school in the state to be named after a Latina woman.

To watch the ceremony, click here.