After the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, still most Black students in Winston-Salem went to all-Black schools and White students did the same. In efforts to achieve a fully integrated school system, busing was initiated which assigned and transported students outside their school districts. By 1971, the four Black high schools, Atkins, Paisley, Anderson, and Carver, became junior high schools, leaving no senior high schools in Winston-Salem’s predominantly Black neighborhoods at that time.
To maintain the legacy of the four historically Black high schools, the alumni associations of Atkins, Carver, Anderson, and Paisley combined their annual reunions in 1995 and began celebrating together. This event became known as “The Big 4 Reunion.” It includes a former teacher’s luncheon, a worship service featuring the Big 4 Choir, and a dance gala. Funds from the reunion weekend support scholarships and community service projects.