By Andrew Edwards
Staff Writer
Just off of Martin Luther King Drive in Prattville, Alabama lies the North Highland Memorial Community Center, an organization established to promote civic and social improvements.
Its location is significant. It was erected next to North Highland High School, or rather, next to where the school once stood – and it was the first public institute for blacks in Prattville.
After being built in 1885, North Highland found several homes throughout the area. The school was located in three different locations, with it’s final one being the current Prattville Junior High School. In was closed in 1969 when Prattville integrated its school system.
Move ahead over 50 years later and the North Highland legacy still lives on. But make no mistake, it’s hanging on by a thread – and it needs all the support it can get.
Henry Robinson, North Highland Alumni of 1969, helps to maintain the community center. He explained that several opportunities that were once available to the public are no longer financially possible.
“We used to have GED classes and tutoring programs up here, but we’re no longer able to do that anymore. If we had the money, we’d be able to bring all these things back and more,” Robinson said.
The center was built on the blood, sweat, and tears of North Highlanders who want nothing but the best for their community. The effort they have put into the civic building has gotten them where they are today, and has, in turn, forged relationships that will last a lifetime. But that doesn’t mean their cause will stop here.
“Everything that’s in this building is bought and paid for. We don’t owe a single cent on anything. We still try to hold parties and other events here, but the past year has been difficult to rent anything out because of COVID. We still have a long way to go to get where we want to be,” Robinson said.
Where North Highland Community Center wants to be is at the forefront of community involvement, and the necessary steps to make that happen have already begun.
It starts with two life-long friends who are ready to see change in a community in need of uplifting.
The duo? Marlon Anderson and Marcus Jackson.
Anderson, a former Major League Baseball Player for the Phillies, Dodgers, Rays, Mets, and Cardinals, has paired with Jackson, the Prattville District 2 City Councilman/behavior coach at the alternative school. Both graduated from Prattville High School in 1992, and will combine their efforts to bolster a community that means so much to them.
While both friends took different paths in life, they have maintained a tight-knit bond that has led them to where they are today. Their ambitious, innovative outlook on life has allowed them to form the Marlon and Marcus Foundation, which is dedicated to improving the lives of children and their families in underserved communities.
Their first project is help build a Multi-Purpose Activity Facility on five acres of land behind the community center. The new facility would have a recreational center, gym, dance studio and classrooms.
“It was really the perfect time to do something like this,” Jackson said. “COVID has impacted a lot of our lives in a very negative way, and this past year we saw so many people left behind. This will give this community something to look forward to”.
Anderson, who is now regularly taking trips back to Prattville from his home in Atlanta, says that an effort of this magnitude has been a long time coming.
“This is something that we’ve always talked about together – wanting to see change in our community. We want to start the foundation for something right,” Anderson said.
Jackson, who’s father attended North Highland, says that the legacy of previous alumni should be preserved.
“To me, this is such a historical site. I think it should be important to everyone. There’s so many stories and such rich history that comes from this community that it shouldn’t be forgotten,” Jackson said.
Anderson made it important to note that it’s imperative that North Highland’s past should be taught to its younger generation.
“The generation of kids that are growing up here now, they have no idea of the history that they are literally living on. We want to educate them, and help them take pride in their community. A center like this could give them something to latch on to in a positive way,” Anderson said. “Nobody wants to be in a bad situation. Hopefully we can get to the point where we create job opportunities though vocational programs and other outlets”.
The foundation’s first major fundraising event, the Celebrity Golf Classic, will take place May 10-11at the Capitol Hill Robert Trent Jones Golf Course, with major guests such as Andruw Jones, OJ Howard, Roman Harper, and plenty more. All proceeds will help benefit the Marlon and Marcus Foundation’s effort to build the Multi-Purpose Activity Facility. Information about participating in this event as well as sponsorship opportunities can be found at https://www.marlonandmarcusfoundation.com/
“We’re here to serve to others. God put us on this Earth to give back, and that’s really what it’s all about,” Jackson said.
