BATON ROUGE, La. (BRA PROUD) – Thursday, May 2nd was a historic moment for the Payne family, as Lutrill and Pearl Payne became the first African-Americans to attend LSU.
They were honored Thursday by the LSU College of Education. The school building is now called the Lutrile and Pearl Payne School of Education.
Faculty, family, and friends of the Payne family spoke, with many moments of reminiscence, about the many trials and tribulations they faced in pursuing higher education.
Lutrill was the first African American to enroll at LSU. He then graduated from Southern University and sued for graduate school admission to LSU, winning the case and receiving his master's degree.
Pearl was one of the first African American women to earn a master's degree from LSU in 1953 and taught for 37 years.
Carolyn Payne White, one of three children, said what her parents did 73 years ago really paved the way for African Americans.
“They inspired countless students to become teachers,” Payne-White said.
Eugene Kennedy, interim director of the LSU College of Education, said honoring the Payne family was a huge honor for the role they played not only for African Americans but also for other students pursuing degrees at LSU. said it was important.
“We want to give everyone a chance. “We are working hard,” Kennedy said.
Lutrile and Pearl's great-grandchildren say they are honored to see this legacy fulfilled and want to carry it on, especially for those who look like them.
“You know, I'm going to keep their legacy alive and I'm going to continue to infuse their legacy into everything that I do,” said Samuel Gaylor, great-grandson of Lutrill and Pearl Payne.
“When you know that African-Americans are named after schooling, you know there's a lack of teachers and leaders in our community. That's a great thing,” Lutrill said. said Christopher Gaylor, Pearl's great-grandson.
Portraits of Lutrile and Pearl will be displayed in Peabody Hall, across from the Huey P. Longfield House, to commemorate their legacy.