Leesburg in Loudoun County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
American Pioneers during the Civil Rights Movement
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 10, 2026
1. American Pioneers during the Civil Rights Movement Marker
The civil rights movement was a struggle for social justice that took place mainly during the 1950s and 1960s for African Americans to gain equal rights under the law in the United States.
Rosa Parks
Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was an American activist in the civil rights movement best known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery bus boycott. The United States Congress has honored here as the mother of the freedom movement".
Claudette Colvin
On March 2, 1955, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin refused to give up her seat on a segregated Montgomery bus nine months before Rosa Parks. The 15-year-old was among five women originally included in the federal court case challenging Montgomery's bus segregation law. On December 17, 1956, the Supreme Court determined that bus segregation in Alabama was unconstitutional.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Roads & Vehicles • Women. A significant historical date for this entry is March 2, 1955.
Location. 39° 6.506′ N, 77° 33.339′ W. Marker is in Leesburg, Virginia, in Loudoun County. It can be reached from the intersection
this page online
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, and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in 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: Famous Male Musicians (here, next to this marker); Legendary Female Musicians (here, next to this marker); Men Breaking Barriers Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow (here, next to this marker); Musicians Who Changed Styles & Genres of Music (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named Men Breaking Barriers Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow
Photographed by David Rozzelle, July 7, 2026
2. American Pioneers during the Civil Rights Movement Marker in context.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 25, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 11, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 42 times since then. Photos: 1. submitted on January 11, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 2. submitted on July 12, 2026, by David Rozzelle of Knoxville, Tennessee.
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