Farmville in Prince Edward County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Prince Edward County Public Schools
Farmville, Virginia
— Prince Edward County —
In 1954, after the Supreme Court ruled in Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka, that United States schools must integrate, Senator Harry S. Byrd and several Virginia governors followed the policy of “massive resistance.” Integration was postponed in every way it could be, from legal manipulation to simple foot-dragging. In many counties the Boards of Supervisors, School Boards and other government bodies managed to postpone integration for as long as 15 years. In Prince Edward County the governing bodies simply closed the schools altogether from 1959-64, rather than comply with the mandate to integrate. White children could attend the newly established Prince Edward Academy. However, many white families couldn’t afford or did not feel it was necessary to go to the Academy, and their children received no education. For black children a number of “training schools” were set up in churches, homes and buildings to provide them with a rudimentary education.
They were often taught by unpaid, untrained teachers, as salaried teachers went elsewhere looking for work. An organized effort led by Farmville’s First Baptist and Beulah churches resulted in “Free Schools,” in which student volunteers came to town to teach and live with local black families. In other cases, many children—black and white were sent by their parents to live in other counties with friends or relatives to get an education. Others remained working on farms, expecting that the situation would not last longer than a year or so. As a result, many of Prince Edward’s youth were denied years of education during the Civil Rights movement. The “Lost Generation,” as they have been called, received an education that was interrupted for a few important years or never completed. After the schools reopened in 1964, extensive improvements gradually resulted in a 135-acre campus with three schools that provide the county’s diverse student population with a quality education.
Erected by Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail®. (Marker Number 23.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Churches & Religion • Civil Rights • Education. In addition, it is included in the Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1954.
Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby. It was located near 37° 15.928′ N, 78° 23.946′ W. Marker was in Farmville, Virginia, in Prince Edward County. Marker could be reached from Zion Hill Road (County Route 628) 0.1 miles east of McClendon Drive. Touch for map. Marker was in this post office area: Farmville VA 23901, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this location, measured as the crow flies. A different marker also named Prince Edward County Public Schools (here, next to this marker); Robert Russa Moton High School (approx. 1.8 miles away); 1951 Student Walk-Out (approx. 1.8 miles away); Oliver White Hill Sr. (approx. 1.8 miles away); Barbara Rose Johns (approx. 1.8 miles away); R.R. Moton High School (approx. 1.8 miles away); Robert Russa Moton High School Timeline (approx. 1.8 miles away); Dr. Barbara Smith (approx. 2.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Farmville.
More about this marker. On the left are two photos with the captions:
"(Top Left) Built in 1937, this high school was designated for white students of Prince Edward County. It was closed in 1959 and never reopened."
"(Bottom Left) Students protesting the continuation of the schools closings in downtown Farmville (1963)."
In the center is a photo with the caption,"(Center Panel) A new high school for black students was built in 1953 to replace the inadequate Moton School and its tar paper buildings. It was closed in 1959 and reopened in 1964. Much expanded, it is now the Prince Edward County High School."
On the right is a photo with the caption, "(Above) Students walk from their school bus to a newly re-opened public school (1964)."
All photographs copyright Richmond Times Dispatch - used by permission.
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. This marker has been replaced with the linked marker.
Also see . . .
1. Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail. Virginia's Retreat (Submitted on May 31, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.)
2. Prince Edward County Public Schools. (Submitted on May 31, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.)
3. The Closing of Prince Edward County's Schools. Virginia Historical Society - The Civil Rights Movement in Virginia (Submitted on May 31, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.)
Credits. This page was last revised on September 6, 2021. It was originally submitted on May 31, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,004 times since then and 77 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on May 31, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.