Taking Action: Michael Jones, Gloria Thompson, Ronald Deskins, Lance Newman
"[The grown-up] kind of impressed upon us the difficulties we might encounter and everything, but it didn't daunt me."
Lance Newman, 2016
A New Era Begins
Arlington, Virginia. February 2, 1959. Seventh-graders Michael Jones, Gloria Thompson, Ronald Deskins, and Lance Newman enrolled at this school, then known as Stratford Junior High. One hundred police officers stood guard against protests, but the day unfolded peacefully. Desegregation of Virginia's public schools had begun.
Being pioneers was not easy. The four children endured slurs and "sneers" while attending Stratford. As the only girl in the group, Thompson found the experience isolating. Even so, the four recognized the importance of their actionsthat desegregation was, in Jones's words, "a good thing for us in the long run."
Strong Community
The events of February 2, 1959, represented the work of an entire community: families, individuals, and organizations across Arlington, as well as the state chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Desegregating Stratford Junior High was an important step, but it was not the end of the journey. The work had to continue....
[Captions:]
Ronald Deskins says goodbye to his mother as he leaves for school on February 2. Lance Newman later remembered that his own mother was a "nervous wreck." The four families had reason to worry, having received threats from opponents to desegregation.
Built in 1950, the school represented the latest thinking in modern design (the architect was Rhees Evans Burket, Sr.). With desegregation, children from all backgrounds could now benefit from Arlington County's bold investment in education.
Erected 2021
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Education. A significant historical date for this entry is February 2, 1959.
Location. 38° 53.955′ N, 77° 6.723′ W. Marker is in Arlington, Virginia, in Arlington County. It is in Cherrydale. It can be reached from Vacation Lane 0.1 miles east of 23rd Street North, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2162 N Stafford St, Arlington VA 22207, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area and in Northern Virginia. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Mid-Atlantic, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Taking Action: E. Leslie Hamm, Jr. (here, next to this marker); Take Action! (a few steps from this marker); Taking Action: Barbara Johns (a few steps from this marker); Taking Action: Dorothy M. Bigelow Hamm (within shouting distance of this marker); Stratford Junior High School (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Cherrydale (approx. 0.2 miles away); Cherrydale Volunteer Firehouse (approx. 0.3 miles away); Cherrydale Drug Fair Sit-In (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Arlington.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 15, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 402 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 15, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
