One of the first major public high schools in the country for African-Americans when it was built in 1924, the alumni roster of Booker T. Washington High School reads like a page from Who's Who in Black America: Entertainer Nipsey Russell, performer Lena Horne, opera singer Mattiwilda Dobbs, former Georgia State Senator Leroy Johnson, former U.S. Health and Human Services Director Louis Sullivan and legendary civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr all attended the school. In recent years, the school has made headlines with visits by world leaders such as the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Bishop Desmond Tutu, former U. S. President George W. Bush and civil rights icon Rosa Parks. In 2009, eyes turned to Washington again when valedictorian Deonte Bridges delivered a spellbinding address about drive and discipline in the face of numerous adversities, including being robbed at gunpoint. As part of a comprehensive high school restructuring plan, officials transformed Washington into four small schools: Washington Banking, Finance and Investments; Health Science & Nutrition; Early College; and Senior Academy.