"We're Still Here:" New Bethel School Classmates Celebrate 80 Years Together
Twenty members of New Bethel School's Class of 1963, all born in 1945, gathered on Aug. 30, 2025 at the Ronald E. McNair American Legion Hut to mark their 80th birthdays.
The Woodruff Times reports that twenty classmates from New Bethel School's Class of 1963, all born in 1945, planned to celebrate their 80th birthdays together on Aug. 30, 2025 at the Ronald E. McNair American Legion Hut. The day's theme was "We Have Come This Far by Faith: We're Still Here."
According to the paper, New Bethel School (green and white, the Bulldogs) educated African American children from Woodruff, Cross Anchor and Enoree during segregation. Many students walked about two miles each way. After the school burned in 1951, classes met in Army-style barracks behind New Bethel Church until it was rebuilt.
The classmates went on to college, military service, careers and families. Most still live in the Woodruff, Enoree, Cross Anchor and Cross Keys area, and they keep in touch regularly. The paper notes that the venue matters too: Ronald E. McNair American Legion Post 270 was founded after Black veterans returning from Vietnam were refused membership in existing posts.
The full story, including the classmates' names, is at The Woodruff Times.