Wilmington Ten: Student Stories is a digital history project that is focused on the perspective of students surrounding the events that occurred during the student-led boycott of 1971 which resulted in the wrongful imprisonment of ten individuals.
After Williston Senior High School—the only Black high school in Wilmington, NC— was closed in 1968, Black students were forced to relocate to either New Hanover High School or Hoggard High Schools, both primarily white schools. The desegregation process was not easy, and Black students did not feel welcome.
After experiencing unfair treatment from fellow students and teachers, Black students had had enough. The following pages will document the events that occurred during the boycott which took place from January 22 through February 9 and hopefully give the perspective of former students who faced many challenges. That will be accomplished through an interactive map, timeline, and testimonies from the former students. The combination of these resources will hopefully leave visitors informed but also help to give the former students a space to be able to tell their story.