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"Desegregation is only a first step on the road to the good society." , Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1962

, The Journey Continues , Norfolk Public Schools desegregated a few minutes after Arlington; Alexandria and Newport News soon followed. Yet, it took more than a decade for all Virginia school systems to open their doors to African American students. Even here in Arlington, the School Board did not develop a policy until 1971 that met the legal standards of Brown v. Board of Education., The desegregation of Stratford Junior High was an important step toward creating the "good society" envisioned by Dr. King. Activists, lawyers, politicians, community members, parents, children, and many others, kept pushing for inclusion, respect, and equality. The fight for justice continues to this day., Future Shapers , Drawings by Dorothy Hamm Middle School students capture the spirit of youth activism. Seventh-grader Gwen Cornelia chose to depict a "woman conflicted by cruel messages. But the glasses represent seeing the greatness in America." Eighth-grader Henry Soto-Reyes hoped this work would show that, "We are all human… We must stand together, not apart.", How will you make your mark on the world?, [Captions:] , In the early years of desegregation, some schools canceled sports and social events to discourage friendships between white and black students. This photo was taken at Arlington's Washington-Lee High School in 1964 when restrictions began to relax. (Arlington Public Schools renamed the school Washington-Liberty in 2019.), Over the decades, Arlington's youth have spoken out on a range of issues. A short list includes war, gun violence, climate change, immigration, religious tolerance, racism, and sexism.