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1951: Strike at Robert Russa Moton High School

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1951: Strike at Robert Russa Moton High School

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In April 1951, students at the all-Black Robert Russa Moton High School in Farmville, organized by 16-year-old Barbara Johns, walked out to protest the inadequate facilities and unequal conditions compared to the white students' schools. This bold act of defiance marked a key turning point in the fight for civil rights and was a precursor to the national movement for school desegregation.

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The students' strike at Moton High School led to the involvement of the NAACP and ultimately became part of the landmark Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education. This decision on May 17, 1954, declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional, signaling a pivotal moment in the struggle for equality in education across the United States.

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1956: Massive Resistance and School Closures

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1956: Massive Resistance and School Closures

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In response to the Brown decision, Virginia's government adopted a policy of 'Massive Resistance,' led by Senator Harry F. Byrd. It involved laws designed to prevent public school desegregation. In 1959, rather than desegregating, Prince Edward County decided to close its public schools. This drastic measure affected both Black and white students, leading some to seek education elsewhere or miss years of schooling.

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Review this interactive timeline on school desegregation and as a group, come up with 1 comment and 1 question that you'd like to know more about in each part.

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1959: The Birth of Prince Edward County Free Schools

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1959: The Birth of Prince Edward County Free Schools

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To combat the closure of public schools caught in the throes of Massive Resistance, the Prince Edward County Free Schools, a nondenominational, integrated set of schools was established. This initiative, strongly supported by local and national groups, including the Kennedy administration, provided a beacon of hope and a temporary educational refuge for many students during these turbulent times.

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1964: Griffin v. County School Board of Prince Edward County

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1964: Griffin v. County School Board of Prince Edward County

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This Supreme Court decision marked the end of the public school closure saga in Prince Edward County by ruling that the county had violated the students' rights by denying them a public education. As a result, the public schools reopened in 1964, finally bringing an end to the five-year period during which the county had no public schools, and moving a step forward in the quest for equal education for all.

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1968: Green v. County School Board of New Kent County

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1968: Green v. County School Board of New Kent County

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This case marked another significant victory for school desegregation efforts. Although not directly related to Farmville or Prince Edward County, the Supreme Court’s decision in Green v. County School Board of New Kent County had a profound impact on accelerating the desegregation process in Virginia and across the South. It mandated 'freedom-of-choice' plans to be truly effective or replaced, ensuring further progress towards integrated schools.