Oberlin Village in Raleigh in Wake County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Holt Family
| | NC Civil Rights Trail | |
Erected 2022 by NC African American Heritace Commission William G. Pomeroy Foundation. (Marker Number 4.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Education. In addition, it is included in the NC Civil Rights Trail, and the William G. Pomeroy Foundation series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1956.
Location. 35° 47.869′ N, 78° 39.612′ W. Marker is in Raleigh, North Carolina, in Wake County. It is in Oberlin Village. It is on Oberlin Road 0.1 miles south of Wade Avenue, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1027 Oberlin Rd, Raleigh NC 27605, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Piedmont and in the Research Triangle. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. 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 the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Oberlin Cemetery (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Oberlin Village (about 500 feet away); Latta University Site: 1892-1922 (approx. 0.2 miles away); George Thomas Morris and Snoopy (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Reverend Plummer T. Hall House (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Graves-Fields House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Sitdowns (approx. 0.6 miles away); North Carolina State University at Raleigh (approx. 0.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Raleigh.
Also see . . .
1. The Joe Holt Story. His family tried to enroll him in a local white school, Josephus Daniels Junior High School, in the summer of 1956, and later (195758) applied to Needham Broughton High School. Despite the Supreme Courts Brown vs. Board of Education decision, in each instance Joe Holt was denied admission. ( Drum Majors for Social Justice, Exploris Middle School, Raleigh) (Submitted on September 23, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
2. Joe Holt, Jr.: The first student to challenge Raleigh's segregated schools. In 1956, roughly two years after Brown vs. the Board of Education legalized desegregation of schools across the country, Joseph Holt, Sr. and his wife Elwyna applied to enroll their 13-year-old son at the all-white Josephus Daniels Junior High School. (Heather Leah, WRAL-TV, June 24, 2020) (Submitted on September 23, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

via The Joe Holt Story blog, Drum Majors for Social Justice, Exploris Middle School (Public Domain), circa 1956
3. Joseph Holt, Jr.
Despite his and his parents' efforts, he never attended a white public school in Raleigh: School officials used multiple tactics to delay integration until 1960, after Holt had graduated.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 19, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 23, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 672 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 23, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

