Goochland in Goochland County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Freedom of Choice
Integration of Goochland High School
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, June 26, 2024
1. Freedom of Choice Marker
At this site in 1965, eleven years after the U.S. Supreme Court declared racial segregation of public schools unconstitutional, fourteen Black students desegregated Goochland High School. Despite Virginia's Massive Resistance efforts, these students, with the support of their parents, community and the NAACP, obtained equal access to education. All went on to be successful in their future endeavors.
Listed by entering grade level, they were:
Ronald Jewell, 12th Frances Copeland, 11th Priscilla Copeland, 10th Aretha Robinson, 10th John Jewell, 9th Patricia Diane Lewis, 9th Jacqueline Carroll, 8th Rose Ellis, 8th Linda Glover, 8th Diane Holland, 8th Michaelle O. Johnson, 8th Darnell McCowin, 8th Eva J. Miles, 8th Sarena Robinson, 8th
Erected 2024 by Goochland County Historical Society. (Marker Number M3.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1965.
Location. 37° 41.668′ N, 77° 53.27′ W. Marker is in Goochland, Virginia, in Goochland County. It can be reached from Sandy Hook Road (U.S. 522) north of River Road West (Virginia Route 6), on the left
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Piedmont, in Central Virginia, and in the Richmond Metropolitan Area. 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: Goochland County Courthouse (approx. 0.8 miles away); a different marker also named Goochland County Courthouse (approx. 0.8 miles away); Old Clerk's Office (approx. 0.8 miles away); In Memory of All Veterans (approx. 0.8 miles away); Confederate Memorial (approx. 0.8 miles away); Goochland's Courthouse Square (approx. 0.8 miles away); Goochland Courthouse (approx. 0.9 miles away); Goochland's Jail (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Goochland.
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, June 26, 2024
2. Freedom of Choice Marker
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, June 26, 2024
3. Goochland County Administration Building (formerly the Goochland County High School)
Credits. This page was last revised on July 25, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 26, 2024, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 490 times since then and 45 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 26, 2024, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.
