A Day at Dudley

Senior Tziporah Slade, Miss Dudley 2023-2024. Photo by Ivan Saul Cutler/Carolina Peacemaker.

As a new day unfolds, Dudley High School’s faculty and staff gather at the entrance, ready to welcome students with handshakes and positive affirmations. The hallways are buzzing with energy and adorned by posters proudly showcasing the school’s Regional and National School of Character awards.

The Carolina Peacemaker spent a day at Dudley, escorted by school ambassadors, seniors Olivia Johnson, Student Government Association President and Tziporah Slade, Miss Dudley 2023-2024.

One of the first people to greet the students is Artouris Bryant, who serves as the Dean of Students, JV Football Head Coach and advisor to the school’s ‘Get in the Game’ service-learning organization.
“For me, I start the day off by giving love to everyone. Speaking to every student that I can in the mornings or when I see them throughout the day. I want to provide them with a safe space to be themselves and to come to me if they have a problem,” he said.

A Dudley alumnus of the class of ’07, Bryant added that his mother and grandparents graduated from Dudley, and his daughter will be a freshman at Dudley next year.

“This is a rich tradition for my family, so Panther Pride means everything to me because I grew up in this community. I feel that I’m a prime example of what you can achieve coming out of this community. There are a lot of greats that have come from Dudley, and that is inspiring to me as well. We instill that pride in every person that comes through these halls – whether you are a janitor, a principal, or a president, we instill that pride into everyone.”

Part of Bryant’s morning routine is that he greets the students with a different mantra each day of the week, instilling that pride into them at the beginning of the day. This week was Marvelous Monday, Terrific Tuesday, Wonderful Wednesday, Thankful Thursday, and Fantastic Friday.

“I always tell the kids that they are future leaders, millionaires, billionaires, entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers- everything that they want to be. I hope that one day, someone will look back and say, yeah, Coach Bryant told me this was going to happen,” he noted.

James Benson Dudley High School in Greensboro was founded in 1929 as the first Black high school in Guilford County, in a school system segregated by law. Greensboro City Schools System as well as the Guilford County Schools System were desegregated under a federal court order in 1971. With a current enrollment population of around 1,400 students, Dudley offers a range of academic, arts, and career-technical education classes.

Dudley Attendance Secretary, Sonja Cobb, graduated in the class of 1970 and returned to work at Dudley in 1986.

“My whole family attended Dudley. Everyone who can come for Homecoming comes to celebrate and show love to this school. Because there’s love here. The teachers and administration really try to love on the students. That’s why I love this school,” said Cobb.

Panther Pride seems to shine the brightest from its alumni, who have returned to work or teach at the high school.

People like the school Registar, LaTanya Greenlee, affectionately known by students as Coach T, who served as a Dudley cheerleading coach from 2009-2018. A graduate of the class of 1990, and following a family legacy of Dudley graduates, Greenlee said that Dudley feels like home.

“I love this school. That’s one of the reasons that I wanted to come back here, is because this is home to me,” she said. “I’m four generations Panther and the pride has evolved over the years, but it’s still Dudley. It’s the history and tradition that we have is way above any other high school that I know of.”

And for others, it only takes one year to feel at home. Eboni Jackson, a Social Studies, and Honors World History teacher is completing her first year at Dudley.

“I love it here. I love seeing these babies that look like me and to have the opportunity to encourage them, to motivate them, to speak life into them. For me, it’s about helping our kids to feel that they are in a safe space to learn and can reach their full potential in any setting,” said Jackson.

But what makes Dudley so special? The students say it’s the support they feel from the faculty.

Serenitie Johnson, a sophomore and track and field athlete said, “I love it at Dudley. The teachers show that they care about us and our success in life.”

Sophomore Javion Wilson, who is a player on the JV football team, a trumpet player in the band and a member of the ‘Get in the Game’ service-learning organization, said the positive environment at Dudley provides students the encouragement to succeed.

“Once a Panther, always a Panther. There’s nothing but love around here. It’s a good environment and our school always has some kind of fun activity going on during the day,” said Wilson.

Get in the Game and The Ladies of Dudley are two service-learning organizations for students that teach them to give back to the community, with a focus on racial equity and diversity. Students also obtain volunteer hours to demonstrate good citizenship.

The Dudley spirit can also reignite a passion for education, which was such for Sharnetta Roseborough, an Honors African American History and Intro to Racial History and Social Justice teacher, and advisor to the Student Government Association.

A Dudley class of 1998 graduate, Roseborough made her way back in 2013. She had been teaching middle school for 11 years and was on the verge of transitioning away from her career as an educator, when she saw there was an opening at Dudley- her high school alma mater.

“I’ve been here ever since with no desire to leave education. We’ve had some rough times over the last few years, dealing with the pandemic and the aftermath of that, but I’m glad to say that we are returning to the Dudley that I knew and loved. Dudley reflects the best of who we are,” said Roseborough. “The culture here is amazing, the students here are amazing. I’m living my best teacher dreams right now – I’m building student leaders, encouraging creativity, and helping to enrich their lives.”

After a full morning of engaging curriculum, students head to the cafeteria for lunch. Serving 600-700 students a day, the DHS cafeteria provides lunch in three shifts.

Mary Drumwright, a GCS Nutritional Operations Supervisor shared, “It’s our responsibility to teach them how to eat for life. They’re still growing, so we must feed the body the right things; and we want to fuel their minds, because you can’t learn properly when you’re hungry.”

The counseling department also provides lunchtime karaoke sessions a few times a week to help students let off steam in their down time. Connecting with students outside the classroom to engage them in the classroom is part of the Dudley way.

Noelle Victor, DHS Curriculum Facilitator for English and Science, and advisor to the Junior and Senior Class Council shares her love for the school and its legacy with the students daily.

“One of the main things that has helped me connect with students is being a Dudley alum. You always know you’ll join this group, no matter what year you graduate,” said Victor, a 2006 graduate of the Dudley Early College Academy. She began her teaching career at Dudley in the Fall of 2016.

“Panther Pride means resilience to me,” she said. “We have been tested over the last few years through some of the narratives that have been told about us, through some incidents that have happened here, but through all that we are resilient. Our staff continues to show up daily to support our students, however we can, and the students continue to show up to support each other. It’s amazing to see.”

So again, what makes Dudley so special?

Principal, Dr. Marcus Gause, says it’s the values of family, tradition, and legacy. Generations of families have walked these hallowed halls, which have developed into a strong alumni support system. From philanthropy to volunteering to giving feedback, the alumni showcase their support throughout the year, and particularly for homecoming.

Dudley High School football fans will be treated to a new stadium scoreboard and an updated lighting and sound system this fall, due to a successful fundraising campaign that raised $350,000 for the project. Gause says the new scoreboard is not just an athletic piece; it will also support academic programs with the students being responsible for creating graphics and providing light and sound system support for all the games.

“Football just isn’t a sport around here. It’s like a family cookout every Friday night that we have a home game,” said Gause. “From holiday toy drives to teaching kids how to cut hair or providing free barber services, whatever you can think of, there’s a Dudley village that takes care of that,” he said. Gause added, “The expectations that alumni have for students are empowering. The community has requested that we maintain the culture, tradition, and legacy of the school, and make sure that the students are aware of that, so those things are important.”

Approaching his first full year as principal, Gause reflected on the progress made at Dudley High School, emphasizing the students’ dedication to upholding academic standards and fostering a positive learning environment. With a notable decrease in student discipline issues and an uptick in attendance, Gause attributes the school’s success to the collective efforts of the entire community.

“A day at Dudley is an adventure,” Gause remarked. “Each day brings something new, yet the empowerment that you receive here comes from when you see yourself in that story, in that history of Dudley, in the history of your community.”

Gause continued, “Panther Pride means more than just school spirit. It’s about setting personal goals and knowing that you have the support of both your school and the broader community to achieve them. It’s about recognizing one’s own potential and committing to excellence in every endeavor.”

Before departing at the end of the day, full on the Panther Pride and love the faculty, staff, and students shared with us, Gause explained that his vision extends beyond the classroom, emphasizing Dudley’s role in preparing students for life beyond graduation.

“It doesn’t matter if you graduated two years ago or 50 years ago, there’s a sense that when you leave out of these doors, you have been prepared, equipped, empowered, and educated to do anything that you put your mind to.”