BKS stands for the 'Booker T. Washington High School VOLS', which is a high school located in Memphis, Tennessee. The VOLS is the school's mascot and is short for Volunteers, which is a reference to the state of Tennessee's nickname, the Volunteer State. The school was founded in 1880 and is named after the famous African-American educator Booker T. Washington. It is one of the oldest high schools in the city and has a long history of academic excellence.