Segregation Springboards a School
Q
uiet as it's kept… Picture this in Macon.
In the historic Unionville neighborhood.
On an obscure street named Edwards
Avenue. In a quaint two-story structure,
there is a privately owned education institution
for children that, for 59 years, has been vigorously
molding minds and shaping futures. That school is
M.A. Evans Academy and Gantt's Pre-School.
Lillie Ruth Gantt-Evans started the preschool for 3- and
4-year-olds in 1966, later adding the academy for ages 5-8,
following 20 years as a nurse at Robins Air Force Base. Her
desire was to provide a quality educational experience for
Black youth during segregation in Macon – unlike her own
August/September 2025 | maconmagazine.com 31
