Virginia Avenue Colored School

Virginia Avenue Colored School - The Virginia Avenue Colored School opened in 1923. It was constructed via a million-dollar bond the Louisville Board of Education used to acquire sites and build new structures. Samuel Plato, one of the country’s first African American architects, was the contractor. The school was at the center of community activities in the city’s Parkland neighborhood.

Virginia Avenue Colored School - A young Muhammad Ali, then Cassius Clay, lived less than a mile from Virginia Avenue Colored School at 3302 Grand Avenue. Ali attended the school between 1948-1954. The school was renamed Jessie R. Carter Elementary School in 1970 and was integrated in 1975. West End School, a private school for boys, opened at the site in 2005. Dedicated October 24, 2019.