Joyce “Poochie” Perkins Jackson, the first black graduate after integration at Spring City High in 1966, looks at her senior photo and bio, which called her a “trailblazer” for her lifetime accomplishments. The information is part of a display focusing on Tennessee’s civil rights movement at the Spring City History Museum.
Photo by Kimberly McMillianSPRING CITY, Tenn. – Joyce “Poochie” Perkins Jackson’s 1966 graduation from Spring City High School was a solitary achievement.
Jackson, her husband and mother recently visited the Tennessee civil rights sit-ins traveling exhibit, “We Shall Not Be Moved,” which featured pictures of the school’s graduating class of 1966, on its debut weekend at the Spring City History Museum Annex.
Among the photos on display were Jackson’s senior portrait and a brief biography that called her a “trailblazer.”
“It was lonely at the top,” Jackson said, holding her picture.
Jackson began her senior year in 1965 as one of 13 blacks out of 369 students. In May 1966, she became the first black student to graduate from Spring City High School.