Henry W. Grady High School


Henry W. Grady High School is located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It began as Boys High School and was one of the first two high schools established by Atlanta Public Schools in 1872. In 1947 the school was named after Henry W. Grady, a famous journalist and orator in the Reconstruction Era, but controversially, a white supremacist.
Grady is located adjacent to Piedmont Park at 929 Charles Allen Drive, between 8th and 10th Streets, in Midtown Atlanta.

Areas served

In addition to Midtown, Grady serves Inman Park, Virginia-Highland, Lake Claire, Candler Park, Fourth Ward, Morningside-Lenox Park, Home Park, Atlantic Station, Ansley Park, 10th and Home, the designated family housing unit of Georgia Tech, and parts of Downtown Atlanta.
Elementary schools feeding into Grady are: Centennial Place, Mary Lin, Hope-Hill, Morningside and Springdale Park. The Samuel M. Inman Middle School also feeds into Grady.

History

Initially known as Boys High School, it had a Technical Department which expanded in 1909 to become a separate school: Tech High. Boys High moved to the current campus site in 1924. The 1924 structure still stands, and has been renovated three times. Between 1909 and 1924, Tech High also moved to the campus' current location. Tech High and Boys High merged in 1947 to form Henry Woodfin Grady High School, named for the proponent of the "New South" after the Civil War and one of Georgia's most celebrated journalists.
Grady served as the communication magnet in the Atlanta Public Schools system from 1991 until 2011, when the school closed the magnet following a system-wide grant from the Gates Foundation to open small learning communities. From 2011-2015, Grady was home to four small learning communities: Communications and Journalism, Public Policy and Justice, Business and Entrepreneurship, and Biomedical Science and Engineering. In 2015, Grady High School course offerings expanded to include the following pathways: Advanced Academic, World Languages, Fine Arts, Instrumental Music, Theatre Arts, Visual Arts, and Career, Technical and Agricultural Education. In 2016 - 17 it was used for the film production of Tom Holland's.

Controversy over name

In 2016, the school newspaper argued that Henry Grady's name should be removed from the school because he was a white supremacist.
In 2016 Henry W. Grady Middle School in Houston was renamed for the same reason.
In 2020, the Atlanta Board of Education formed a committee to consider a new name.

Curriculum and Activities

Arts

Knights of Sound

The Grady High School Knights of Sound Band was built under the leadership of band director Dr. Dyann Ryans from 2001 to 2008. During this time, the Knights of Sound received numerous awards and accolades. Band members have received gold, silver, and bronze medals in the NAACP-ACT SO Competition held annually in March. In 2007, the Knights of Sound performed with Dem Franchize Boys in the video for "Talkin Out The Side of Ya Neck." As of July 2011, the band is under the leadership of Brian Cook.

Chorus

The Advanced and Chamber Choruses form Grady's performance chorus, and have performed at Spivey Hall, Falany Hall, and the Recital Hall of Georgia State University. They have also performed with the William Baker Festival Singers and have annual fall performances with the Woodstock High School Varsity Singers.

School publications

''The Unmasking''

The Unmasking literary magazine was founded in 1988 as a collection of student art, literature, and criticism edited by Grady students, published every spring. The magazine was named "Best in Show" by the National Scholastic Press Association twice, in 2005 and 2001.

''The Southerner''

The Southerner is a monthly newspaper written by Grady students. Part of the High School National Ad Network, it has been published since 1947. The Southerner has won numerous awards, such as the Pacemaker Award and the Quill & Scroll Award, earning the publication nationwide acclaim.

''GNN'' and ''Gametime''

Grady News Now and Gametime are Grady High School's programs in broadcast journalism, and are also recipients of many awards. GNN won its first Pacemaker in November 2005. Gametime is a weekly show dedicated to the coverage of prevalent sports stories as well as scores and highlights from all scholastic athletic events. It won the GSPA award for the best new breakthrough production.

''Nexus''

Nexus, written by Grady students, is a bimonthly magazine. Its success in the 2004-2005 school year was at first limited, with only a handful of editions, as that was its first year and it started late. Its second year saw great success when Nexus gained the Start-Up achievement award from the Georgia Scholastic Press Association. In the 2008-2009 school year Nexus won "All Southern" from SIPA.

Sports

As of October 2020, the school had 1,473 students.
Several rap videos have been shot on Grady's campus, including videos by popular artists Dem Franchize Boyz, Freak Nasty, and Outkast. In 2011, Grady was the host to MTV's hit show Teen Wolf as it made its television debut. Several movies have been shot on Grady's campus, including Remember the Titans, Ride Along, The Duff, Love, Simon, and .

Notable alumni

The following are notable alumni of Henry W. Grady High School, listed with their graduating class and notable accomplishments:
NameClassNotable Accomplishments
Jim Bagby, Jr.1935Former professional baseball player for the Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, and Pittsburgh Pirates
Charles Alvin Beckwith1947Special Forces officer credited with founding Delta Force
Red Borom1935former professional baseball player for the Detroit Tigers
Hugh Casey1932Former professional baseball player for the Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, and New York Yankees
S. Truett Cathy1939Chick-fil-A founder
Earthwind Moreland1955Professional football player for the New England Patriots
Nolen RichardsonFormer professional baseball player for the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, and Cincinnati Reds
Eric Roberts1974Academy Award-nominated actor
Dean Rusk1924Secretary of State from 1961 to 1969
SupreemeFormer hip-hop group whose members include Shaka "Tom Cruz" Girvan aka Dope Pope, Negashi Armada, and Sam "King Self" Terrell
Allen West1979C/LTC of the 1979 ROTC class, US Congressman from Florida
Donald Windham1937Playwright, editor, novelist, short-story writer, and memoirist; known for such works as The Dog Star, Emblems of Conduct, The Warm Country, and Two People; grew up on Peachtree Street
Bronte Woodard1958Wrote and adapted screenplay for the movie Grease
George W. Woodruff1913Former Director of Coca-Cola Company, philanthropist
Damian Swann2011Professional football player for the New Orleans Saints