Our Vision
We are using history to help us build a better tomorrow.
We remember so we don’t forget.
Our Mission Statement:
“To preserve and honor the history of Black education in and around Kirksville, Missouri, providing a space for reflection, learning, and celebration of the educational leaders and students who shaped the heritage of Lincoln School.”
Above is an AI version of what the school could look like in the future.
Doris Akers grew up in Kirksville and went to Lincoln School. Doris Akers wrote over 500 Gospel songs in her lifetime. Her music stands out in her use of harmony and counterpoint, which not only influenced Black Gospel Music and Southern Gospel Music, but also laid the foundation for jazz, soul and R&B trends. Her music would help bridge the gap between black and white musical cultures, as she drew from both black and white cultures. In 1960 and 1961 she won “Gospel Music Composer of the Year”, and was given the nick name of Miss Gospel. In 1992 the Smithsonian Institute called her “the foremost black gospel songwriter in the United States” and in 1995, the Smithsonian Institute called her hymn “Sweet, Sweet Spirit” a National Treasure. In 2001, she was inducted into the Gospel Hall of Fame, and in 2011 was inducted into the Southern Gospel Hall of Fame.