This report and others in this series were made possible by The Wallace Foundation, The Principal Story project, and the Knowledge Center. 1950's: Opening its doors to high school students in the 1950's, Lincoln High School originally served a predominately white neighborhood.
1950's: Built shortly after the end of World War II, the original campus had a basement that could serve as a fall-out shelter.
1960's: At the center of San Diego's Civil Rights Movement, Lincoln High School had a student population that was 80 percent African-American by 1969.
![The student population was 80 percent African-American by 1969, at was at the center of Civil Rights discussions.](https://cdn.kpbs.org/dims4/default/2132823/2147483647/strip/true/crop/600x370+0+17/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fkpbs-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fimg%2Fphotos%2F2009%2F09%2F14%2FUT_85_h7065_24_Lincoln_High_reopens_-_1969.jpg)
1968: Tensions rose in the late 60's, and the school closed after being vandalized and students walked out for 10 days.
![Vandalism at Lincoln High School closed down the school in 1968 as tensions rose during the Civil Rights Movement.](https://cdn.kpbs.org/dims4/default/d022038/2147483647/strip/true/crop/594x366+0+117/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fkpbs-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fimg%2Fphotos%2F2009%2F09%2F14%2FUT_85_h1674_2_Vandalism_damage_-_Lincoln_High_School_-_1968.jpg)
1969: Dr. Ernest Hartzog, the first African-American high school principal in San Diego County, took leadership of Lincoln High after an unprecedented student walkout.
![Students present essays to Dr. Ernest Hartzog, the first African-American principal in San Diego.](https://cdn.kpbs.org/dims4/default/f399f9a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/586x361+0+120/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fkpbs-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fimg%2Fphotos%2F2009%2F09%2F14%2FUT_85_h8251_Bottom_-_Principal_Hartzog_and_students_-_1969.jpg)
1970's: In the 70's, the school became the birthplace of several nationally recognized all-star athletes, including football legend Marcus Allen, who was inducted into the Pro-Football Hall of Fame the same year the original Lincoln High School campus was demolished in 2003.
![Pro-football player Marcus Allen is a Lincoln High School Alumnae.](https://cdn.kpbs.org/dims4/default/0a5bade/2147483647/strip/true/crop/180x111+0+55/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fkpbs-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fimg%2Fphotos%2F2009%2F09%2F14%2Fmarcusallen.jpg)
2003: The Imperial Avenue campus was torn down in 2003, and replaced with modern structures that rival some small college campuses. The new Lincoln High School cost the district $129 million.
![The new Lincoln High School campus on Imperial Avenue in southeast San Diego.](https://cdn.kpbs.org/dims4/default/046cf89/2147483647/strip/true/crop/768x473+0+51/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fkpbs-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fimg%2Fphotos%2F2009%2F09%2F14%2FLincoln_High.jpg)
Opening its doors again in 2007, students and faculty feel the improved campus offer students hope and equality in education.