LEGACY OF HIGHLANDER FOLK SCHOOL
Highland Folk School has always been a school of different standards. From its inception in 1932, it has been a school that fought for the "radical" rights of all people. Highlander was founded during a time where it was considered communistic to want equal pay and a better work environment. It was not okay to to lobby and organize. This was a hostile time for a school to form who taught people how to properly address their concerns. Highlander Folk School thrived during economic and social discourse. However, it faced backlash from neighbors and the government who feared the change Highlander was about to bring about. The legacy that Highlander Folk School has left is that the status quo is not always right. Sometimes what is right is not always popular and people should have the courage to fight for the rights of all mankind. From a liberal school who focused on equal rights in the workforce, to a civil rights training school that taught integration and racial equality, Highlander has created a name for itself. Myles Horton was merely attempting to bring in the idea of equality that a majority of developed countries had already grasped. For America to be the home of the free, it sure did lag behind as far as basic civil liberties. Horton envisioned a universal love and respect. Now Highlander Research and Education Center it still maintains that mantra for human sustainability, equality, and excellence. It is now located in New Market, TN thriving with new teachers, an improved school system, but more importantly state and national funding and support.
