Seventy years ago in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks refused to surrender her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus, an act that led to her arrest and sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Guided by a young Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the boycott lasted 381 days and concluded when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled bus segregation unconstitutional.
Parks’ quiet defiance on Dec. 1, 1955, became a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement.
Kerrville has its own historical figure who shaped the local Black community during segregation: Anna W. Doyle, an educator who donated land for the Doyle School and served as its head teacher for nearly two decades.
The school became a hub for education and community support during a period of limited opportunities for African American residents.
On Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025, at its monthly meeting, the Major James Kerr Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution honored Doyle’s legacy by presenting Clifton Fifer, outreach coordinator of the Doyle Community Center, with the DAR Women in American History Award in her memory.
The chapter also collected food donations for the Doyle food pantry.
Fifer, the featured speaker, shared personal stories from his youth, reflecting on life during segregation and the influence of community leaders such as Doyle.
Kerrville City Council members Kent McKinney (Place 3) and Jeff Harris (Place 2) were also in attendance.
Doyle’s contributions demonstrate how individual leadership can strengthen a community. Through her land donation and dedication to teaching, she helped ensure access to education and stability for generations of African American children in Kerrville during a time of profound inequality.
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