Bessemer Academy opened during the period of desegregation of public schools in the 1960s, and was established in 1969 as an all-White academy.[3] According to the school, parents shared their desires for a school in Bessemer, "where children could receive a challenging curriculum within a framework of traditional values".[1]
Facilities built in 1972 include 18 classrooms, an activity room and dressing rooms, as well as administrative offices.[3]
Because a stream runs through campus, the school has implemented the Exploring Alabama’s Living Streams (EALS) curriculum.[4]
History
The first headmaster was Barry Norton, who also became a football coach.[5]
The school moved into a new $200,000 building in August 1972. Enrollment in the first few years increased from 80 students in the first year, to 300 students in grades 1 through 9 in the 1971–72 school year, with an anticipated 400 students in the new building the following year in grades 1 through 11.[3]
In 1972, the academy chose a "Confederate Rebel" Mascot, named after confederate soldiers in the U.S. Civil War. By 2000, enrollment had declined, and because the school was facing closure, Bessemer Academy sought to "... to recruit African American students to the school, namely, African American athletes. ...To provide a more inviting environment to athletes, Bessemer Academy toned-down its Confederate imagery leading toward athletic advancement and enrollment increases".[6]
Running the Race began filming at Bessemer in October 2016. Head football coach Josh Wright allowed actors on the field with the team during a game. The film's producer cited Alabama's advantageous taxes as the incentive for shooting the film there.[7]
^"Practice to begin". Birmingham Post-Herald. August 4, 1972. p. 11. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
^Smith, Patrick. "The Rebel Made Me Do It: Mascots, Race, and the Lost Cause". Retrieved May 5, 2021. After 2000 schools in the Deep South began to see the merits of having a less controversial mascot. An example of this is Bessemer Academy in Bessemer Alabama. The school was established in 1969 and selected a Confederate Rebel mascot in 1972. By 2000 the school had outlasted its original purpose as a refuge for White people in Bessemer and found itself on the brink of closure. The headmaster knew he had to get creative to keep the school open, so he decided to recruit African American students to the school, namely, African American athletes. ...To provide a more inviting environment to athletes, Bessemer Academy toned-down its Confederate imagery leading toward athletic advancement and enrollment increases. (pp. 125-126)
