CNN iReport

     This old brick building stands just down the road from the current middle/high school of Kaleva Norman Dickson School district, in the northern town of Brethren, Michigan. This is the original High School, known as Dickson High School, which was the school of the famous and legendary James Earl Jones.

     I live in the neighboring town, where I met my husband, and where we raise our kids. And they are now a part of this wonderful disctrict that helped shape this great legend.  The Dickson School closed many many years ago when a new high school was built, but the original sat vacant and fell into ruin.

     About  3 years ago James Earl Jones paid a visit and put on a fundraising show in another neighboring town called Manistee, which is actually where he got his first taste of acting, at the Ramsdell Theater. The money raised was used to start renovating the school to be used as a Cultural Center.  Since it's been established for it's historical significance, it has relied only  on help and donations to restore this building.

     It still sits today, just across from from Brethren High/Middle school,  with a new roof but empty and in need of repair. Our rural community has faced so many cutbacks and I fear that the goal of the completion of this cultural center is a long way off.

We have very little culture in our area, this school being the most historically significant, and I pray it will be here to share with future generations of the Kaleva Norman Dickson school disctict of Michigan.

just a cool bit of info, even back in the 1940's, blacks were welcome in this community, even in the all white churches, after all, everyone here was equal, they were ALL poor farmers.

Can you tell which is James Earl Jones is in the last photo???

(he was #27)

For more information go to  www.dicksonschool.org