81-year-old North Texas trailblazer to graduate from UNT Dallas

81-year-old Texas trailblazer graduates from UNT Dallas

History will be made this week when the University of North Texas at Dallas holds its commencement. Among the graduates is an 81-year-old woman with an incredible story.

DALLAS - History will be made this week when the University of North Texas at Dallas holds its commencement. Among the graduates is an 81-year-old woman with an incredible story.

Cheryl Hurdle Wyatt’s Story

The backstory:

Cheryl Hurdle Wyatt first made history back in 1955 when, as a 10-year-old girl, she and her sister were part of a historic Dallas NAACP lawsuit to desegregate Dallas public schools.

"When my parents moved us to South Dallas from Oak Cliff, and we were five doors from the school at the end of the corner that was all white, and we were not allowed to attend," she said. "I do remember the principal saying you can’t come to this school."

While Wyatt never got to attend Brown Elementary School, the lawsuit opened the doors for others. Her younger brother did go to the school.

"The year we went to high school is the year they opened up John Henry Brown for Blacks," she said.

After graduating from high school, Wyatt went to Texas Southern University. But instead of graduating, she came home to help her older sister open a beauty school.

"Velma B’s Beauty Academy in Dallas. Everybody who was in Dallas during that time knew of Velma Brooks," she said. 

Along life’s journey, Wyatt blazed her own professional path.

"At the Lancaster-Kiest shopping center, I was there for maybe 10 years then moved up to Camp Wisdom. Had a salon there and then I’ve had about maybe two or three other locations," she said.

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81-year-old College Graduate

What's next:

On Tuesday, Wyatt will finally complete her 60-year journey to her college degree.

She credits her father as her inspiration. Although he had seven children at home, he went to night school to earn his high school diploma.

"So, that taught us that it’s never too late. You can always go back and make something that you wanted to happen, happen," she said.

Her father’s perseverance during the desegregation lawsuit also taught her not to give up.

"Well, it taught me that we should always preserve, don’t give up. If it doesn’t happen this way, just keep on. It will happen. The only way you cannot win is if you stop," she said.  

All of Wyatt’s children and grandchildren are expected to be in the crowd cheering for her as she walks across the stage.