MADISON, Mississippi (AP) – Racially diverse school in central Mississippi honors its namesake – a woman who played a leadership role in ensuring black children received an education when the state was deeply segregated .

Rosa Scott’s descendants were on campus Monday at Rosa Scott High School, a campus for approximately 400 ninth graders in the Madison County School District.

“Because of her, many African American children have started going to school,” Scott’s great-granddaughter, Maryann Gaylor Kennedy, told WLBT-TV..

Scott was born in 1874, educated at Fisk University, and worked as a teacher and principal in Madison County. She led an effort to raise funds for a school that opened in Madison in the 1920s.

Scott died in 1938 and his grave is part of the current campus courtyard. When a new school was built in 1959, it was named after Scott.

At Monday’s ceremony, principals, educators and alumni spoke about the school’s impact and Scott’s advancement mission. His family gave the school a copy of Scott’s biography written by one of his granddaughters, Rose Mary Collum Gaylor.

The students designed a flag for the Rosa Scott School, giving the family cues.

“Rosa Scott was a powerhouse,” another of her granddaughters, Margaret Bernstein, told WJTV-TV. “She really understood that education is the key to success, and she wanted to unlock it for black children, which is why it was important to be here today.”