Almost all the children pictured were kids of Consolidation coal miners.

The Burdine Colored School was located in Jenkins, Kentucky. The school was created in 1911 by the Consolidation Coal Company, who owned the land and the majority of the public buildings and private residences were built under their direction.

Burdine Colored School was part of the Jenkins Independent School System of Negro Schools located in Jenkins, Burdine, and Dunham. According to the 1939 thesis by Frances Rolston, the colored schools in the Jenkins School System were developed due to the influx of Negro coal miners working for Consolidated Coal Company.

The first Jenkins Colored School was established in 1916 with one teacher and 58 students. In 1928 there were 528 students in the colored schools in Letcher County. During the 1936-37 school year, there were 374 students in 3 schools. The end of school year report included the Fleming one room school with one teacher and 36 students; Carbon Glow one room school with one teacher and 25 students; and Haymond two room school with two teachers and 70 students. For a number of years, Dunham Colored High School, under the Jenkins School System, was the only high school for African Americans in Letcher County.

sources:

http://nkaa.uky.edu/nkaa/items/show/2642