The grandsons of the founder of a school created to educate students of color talks about the man they call a visionary. Green T. Lindon Elementary in Youngsville is named after three African American men: Romaine Green, John Thibeaux and Horace Lindon.

The story behind the naming of Green T. Lindon begins in Lafayette with a school called Long Plantation Elementary. “It’s important to note that all three of them were interested in making sure that education was provided to children of color; my grandfather our grandfather,” says grandson John Broussard, Sr.. 

Gerard Green and John Broussard are the grandsons of Romaine Green.  

Green and Broussard say according to school board minutes,  in 1920 their grandfather along with others went before the school board asking to open a school to educate children of color. “The school board requested that he would then have to come up with $400 in order to be granted that and also provide the location and the building and they would provide the teachers,” says Broussard.

Broussard says his grandfather was a landowner. The two room school house, Long Plantation Elementary, was built in Lafayette off Tolson road. Both grandsons attended the school. “My grandfather our grandfather couldn’t read or write but he had that vision.”

Green says the school was as basic as it gets but served its purpose as a place to educate children.”The water was collected from the roof of the school that drain into the system and thats the water we drank,” adds Green.

In 1959, a change occurred, the school was consolidated with Youngsville Negro School. The principal at the time renamed the school Green T. Lindon.  “A name that reflected the positive impact of I guess men in the society,” principal Ginger Richard.

“It’s not only the children but the parents look at how proud they were,” says Broussard regarding a picture of students.