Eight Canton High alumni march again, 50 years later

Special to The Canton News 

History repeated itself in golden fashion at Canton Public High School recently, as eight proud members of the Class of 1975 returned to their alma mater to march once more—this time in celebration of a 50-year milestone.

Dr. Marilyn Johnson-Luckett, Dr. Ruth Evans-Bowen, Dr. Linda Williams-Taylor, Mary Griffin, Erma Jackson West, Master Gunnery Sgt. Sam Young Jr., Charles Ware, and Staff Sgt. James Luckett opened the school’s 151st commencement ceremony at Tiger Stadium. Clad in golden caps and gowns, they crossed the field to resounding cheers from a crowd that welcomed them like returning heroes.

Superintendent Gary P. Hannah, school board chairman Johnny Brown, board members, Principal K.R. Johnson, and faculty greeted the distinguished alumni with applause and congratulations.

“It’s difficult to believe that five decades have passed since we marched out onto the grounds of Canton Public High School to receive our high school diplomas, our passport to the future,” said Dr. Johnson-Luckett. “It was surpassed only by the excitement on Saturday when we marched again, fifty years later, to receive a golden diploma. We are living the GOLDEN LIFE.”

Johnson-Luckett also announced that her foundation, the Marilyn Johnson-Luckett Foundation, Inc., will award five $500 book scholarships to the Class of 2025.

Her ties to the school run deep. In 1975, Canton High teachers played a basketball game to raise funds for her to attend the Presidential Classroom for Young Americans in Washington, D.C., where she was one of only five African American students among 375 national participants. That experience, she said, helped shape her path toward earning a Ph.D. and MPPA in Public Policy and Administration.

The Class of 1975 continues its legacy by giving back. Members are funding the construction of an outdoor classroom to promote innovative learning and offer fresh-air instruction in STEM, the arts, and other disciplines. Dr. Evans-Bowen, a longtime educator, emphasized the importance of such a space to meet evolving student needs.

In addition, Dr. Williams-Taylor, a psychology graduate of Texas Southern University, highlighted mental health support and announced that Canton High graduates attending Texas Southern may apply for her existing education endowment.

The celebration included spiritual support from Rev. Robert E. McCallum of Priestley Chapel MB Church, who recognized the “golden marchers” during the baccalaureate service and offered words of encouragement to both the Class of 1975 and the graduating Class of 2025.

Fifty years later, these alumni marched again—not just in honor of the past, but to help shape the future.