George Hughes Memorial Scholarship

Many community members have lived decades in the area without learning about the lynching of George Hughes or the destruction of the Black business district on Mulberry Street. Students schooled in Grayson County are rarely taught this history. The scholarship will open opportunities for expanded cooperation with community partners. Grace UMC will work with aligned churches and organizations to advertise the scholarship, determine community stakeholder representation, or expand the number of scholarships available annually.

This scholarship will create new connections in the community every year as Grace UMC continues to live in to our vision of Embrace All + Engage with Jesus + Expand the Kingdom.

Many individuals and groups across Grayson County are working to establish a historical marker to commemorate the lynching of George Hughes and the subsequent destruction of the Black business district of Sherman. While that work is ongoing, Grace UMC has created the George Hughes Memorial Scholarship, an annual scholarship essay contest for graduating high school seniors in Grayson County. The essay prompt will require students to reflect on the lynching of George Hughes in 1930 and consider how this history has shaped Grayson County into the present, as well as its future implications for our community.