Briarcrest Christian School
| Briarcrest Christian School | |
|---|---|
| File:EnhancedBriarcrestLogo.png | |
| Location | |
 | |
| , | |
| Coordinates | 35°06′52″N 89°51′59″W / 35.1145364°N 89.8663037°W |
| Information | |
| School type | Private coeducational |
| Motto | With Men, This Is Impossible; But With God, All Things Are Possible. Matt 19:26 |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Non-denominational Christian |
| Established | 1973 |
| Principal | Eric Sullivan |
| Grades | PK–12 |
| Enrollment | 1600 |
| Color(s) | Green and gold |
| Nickname | Saints |
| Website | www.briarcrest.com |
Briarcrest Christian School is an independent coeducational college preparatory school with two campuses in Shelby County, Tennessee, in Memphis (2-year-olds to grade 5) and Eads (two-year-olds to grade 12)
History
The school was opened in 1973 as a segregation academy in response to the court-ordered busing racial integration of public schools. The chairman of the school board stated that black students were "pressured into staying away, feeling they'd be Uncle Toms if they came."[1] The headmaster explained that teachers left public schools for jobs at Briarcrest because they wanted to be “back among their own” with “less fear, less culture shock” and more “cultural homogeneity”.[2]
Programs for kindergarten through grade 8 began in 1973, as Briarcrest Baptist School System, and a program for grades 9–12 was added in 1974. In its early years, Briarcrest maintained as many as 12 locations in Southern Baptist churches throughout the Memphis area. In 1989 the school split from the founding church and re-chartered as an independent school, Briarcrest Christian School. Over the next 20 years, Briarcrest Christian School grew to 1,600 students and became financially strong, as evidenced by the successful completion of elementary through high school and athletic facilities on its campus on Houston Levee Road, east of Memphis.[3]
In 2009, the school's reputation for racial segregation was portrayed in the film The Blind Side.[4][5]
Program
Briarcrest is now Non-denominational Christian. Christian values and biblical morals are taught and practiced throughout the program. All students attend weekly chapel services, study the Bible and are encouraged to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Briarcrest offers honors, advanced placement and dual enrollment classes. Fine arts programs begin in preschool and continue through grade 12 in visual arts, choral music, instrumental music, general music, and theater arts.
Accreditation and affiliations
The school has dual accreditation from the Southern Association of Independent Schools and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Briarcrest is also a member of the Association of Christian Schools International, Tennessee Association of Independent Schools, Memphis Association of Independent Schools, and the College Board.
Sports
Briarcrest participates in Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) Division II West AA for large schools, competing with both private and public schools in the region. Since 1998, Briarcrest has won nine state championships (six of which, two in football and four in girls' basketball, were coached by former Ole Miss football coach Hugh Freeze). The school offers a wide range of athletics, including marching band, football, baseball, basketball, wrestling, cross country, golf, bowling, swimming, trap shooting, softball, lacrosse, soccer, volleyball, track, tennis, and cheerleading.
Notable people
- James Edwards – host of The Political Cesspool, a controversial talk show broadcast for the past ten years on radio and the Internet by the Liberty News Network
- Hugh Freeze – coach who won two state football championships and four girls' basketball state championships at Briarcrest[6]
- Greg Hardy – football player for the Dallas Cowboys and the University of Mississippi[7]
- John Hemphill – comedian[citation needed]
- Nicole Jordan – Miss Tennessee 2010[8]
- Jim Mabry – University of Arkansas football player; Associated Press First team All-American 1989 [citation needed]
- Leslie McDonald – basketball player for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill[9]
- Austin Nichols (basketball) – basketball player[10]
- Michael Oher – football player;[11] subject of the book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game and the 2009 movie The Blind Side.[12]
- Lisa Quinn – television personality, Emmy winner[citation needed]
- Leigh Anne Tuohy – interior designer, author
References
- ^ Crespino, Joseph (2007). In Search of Another Country: Mississippi and the Conservative Counterrevolution. Princeton University Press. p. 248. ISBN 0691122091.
- ^ Nevin, David; Bills, Robert (1976). The schools that fear built : segregationist academies in the South. Washington: Acropolis Books. p. 54. ISBN 0874911796.
- ^ "Briarcrest sees more growth in future". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
- ^ Leonard, David J.; George, Kimberly B.; Davis, Wade (2016-10-14). Football, Culture and Power. Routledge. p. 85. ISBN 9781317410881.
- ^ "Battering Ram". Memphis magazine. 2011-03-04. Retrieved 2017-11-03.
- ^ Cacciola, Scott (21 October 2014). "Hugh Freeze, Coach at Ole Miss, Follows an Unlikely Blueprint". NY Times. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
- ^ Greg Hardy. "Greg Hardy, DE for the Carolina Panthers at". Nfl.com. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
- ^ "409: Site not active". Suburbancommunitynews.com. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
- ^ [1] Archived March 13, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Borzello, Jeff (November 5, 2012). "Austin Nichols surprisingly chooses Memphis over Tennessee". CBS Sports. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
- ^ Michael Oher (1986-05-28). "Michael Oher, T for the Baltimore Ravens at". Nfl.com. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
- ^ Holmes, Linda (2011-02-08). "Beyond 'The Blind Side,' Michael Oher Rewrites His Own Story : Monkey See". NPR. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
External links
- Briarcrest Christian School
- The Ballad of Big Mike, New York Times Magazine article on Michael Oher 2005
- 1973 establishments in Tennessee
- Christian schools in the United States
- Educational institutions established in 1973
- Preparatory schools in Tennessee
- Private high schools in Tennessee
- Private middle schools in Tennessee
- Private elementary schools in Tennessee
- Segregation academies in Tennessee
- Schools in Memphis, Tennessee