Prior to 1965, Bishopville High School served white students, while black students attended Dennis High School three blocks away. In 1965, the Federal government mandated the integration of public schools in South Carolina. In response, many segregation academies like Robert E. Lee Academy were established by white parents so their children could continue with a segregated education. The school is named after the Confederate general and slaveholder Robert E. Lee. According to civil rights activist Tom Turnipseed, Robert E. Lee academy was part of a pattern of segregation academies established in response to desegregation and named after Confederate leaders.