The purpose of this study was to find out how W. S. King School, a school for African American students that operated during segregation, impacted student learning and thereby, influenced the community. Because the former all-black W. S. King School was known to have produced graduates who went on to become successful, productive citizens in society, it warranted taking a look back to find out why the school was successful at meeting the needs of its students. This was a qualitative case study. In-depth interviews were conducted with 19 former graduates of W. S. King School and West Carteret High School graduates who once attended W. S. King School before schools were integrated. Their interviews were recorded using a digital recording device and were transcribed. Transcriptions were analyzed using open coding to determine emergent themes. A document analysis and review of artifacts such as yearbooks, photographs, report cards, awards, trophies, and other memorabilia also helped to capture the story of W. S. King School. Historical documents related to the school including school board minutes, newspaper articles published in the "Carteret County News Times", and W. S. King Alumni Association minutes were also examined. Files that were preserved by the Carteret County School System, the Carteret County Historical Society, and the State Archives of North Carolina were studied as well. By using this method, I was able to gain insight into the actual workings of the school.The themes that emerged encompassed the findings of the study. Findings regarding W. S. King School included: 1) The principal was an excellent leader who stressed education and discipline. 2) Teachers knew their subject matter, were encouragers who demonstrated care for their students, and were disciplinarians. 3) The new cinderblock building was an improvement over the old wooden school but still lacked amenities. 4) Materials were of poor quality but were utilized anyway. 5) School staff were important in the school setting. 6) The school was the hub of the black community; the community supported the school's efforts. 7) Students remember fondly school events that occurred at the school. Findings regarding West Carteret High School included: 1) The principal was viewed as distant by some and caring by others. 2) Some of the participants felt that white teachers did not care if black students were successful academically while others reportedly formed relationships with white teachers. 3) Participants benefited from attending segregated and integrated schools. 4) Remembrances of the school were not endearing for most of the former students. The findings provided several implications for research and practice. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]