Black History Month: Moton High School

The original building that housed Moton High School on Port Street. Photo taken in 2010.

Moton High School was first opened in 1870 as the Easton Colored School. It was located on Port Street, and was the first black public school in Easton. On November 21, 1937, the school was Robert Russa Moton Junior/Senior High School, after Robert Russa Moton, an African-American author and educator from Virginia. The school remained here until 1953 when a new school was constructed on Glenwood Avenue. After the Brown v. Board of Education decision, Talbot County gave black students the option to attend formerly all white schools. Moton continued to serve as an all black high school until 1967, when Talbot County schools were fully integrated.

A group photo of Principal and teachers. Photo from Hollyday Collection, 1950s-1960s.

The building was remodeled and reused for several different purposes over the years. It became the home of Easton Middle School for two years, and then closed for renovations and reopened in 1972 as the Talbot County Vocational –Technical Center. After this it housed Glenwood Intermediate School. After more renovations it opened in 1991 as Easton Elementary School. While EES was recently rebuilt, the legacy of Moton High School remains with a Moton wing, and commemorative plaques honoring Robert Russa Moton and the Moton Alumni.