Marker Logo HMdb.org THE HISTORICAL
MARKER DATABASE
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Venable in Charlottesville, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
 

Triumph of “The Charlottesville Twelve”

 
 
Triumph of “The Charlottesville Twelve” Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By J. J. Prats, May 4, 2013
1. Triumph of “The Charlottesville Twelve” Marker
Inscription.
Venable Elementary School. Charles E. Alexander, Raymond Dixon, Regina Dixon, Maurice Henry, Marvin Townsend, William Townsend, Sandra Wicks, Roland T. Woodfolk, Ronald E. Woodfolk.

Lane High School. French Jackson, Donald Martin, John Martin.

On September 8, 1959, nine African American children bravely entered Venable Elementary School by order of U.S. District Court Judge John Paul. With the assistance of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the children’s parents sued the Charlottesville City School Board for equal access. Their fight began in 1955, following the U.S. Supreme Court decision of the 1954 case, Brown v Board of Education. Parents took action to fulfill their civil rights by petitioning the Charlottesville School Board to transfer their children from the segregated Jefferson Elementary School and Jackson P. Burley High School. The School Board chose to take no action on the petition request. In 1956, Judge Paul ruled that Charlottesville must integrate Lane High School and Venable Elementary School. The School Board filed several appeals contesting the decision to comply with integration. Using the strategy of “massive resistance,” Governor James Lindsey Almond, Jr. ordered the closure of Lane. and Venable on September 19, 1958 to prevent the integration of the Charlottesville City Schools. When schools in Charlottesville reopened in February 1959, the School Board provided space in the Board office for students to take classes while they determined how to proceed with a plan for integration. On September 5, 1959, Judge Paul ordered the immediate transfer of twelve students who became known as “The Charlottesville
Paid Advertisement
Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.
Click or scan to see
this page online
Twelve.”
 
Erected 2012 by City of Charlottesville.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African AmericansCivil RightsEducation. A significant historical month for this entry is February 1959.
 
Location. 38° 2.34′ N, 78° 29.805′ W. Marker is in Charlottesville, Virginia. It is in Venable. Marker is at the intersection of 14th Street NW and Gordon Avenue, on the left when traveling south on 14th Street NW. It is on the grounds of Venable Elementary School. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 406 14th Street NW, Charlottesville VA 22903, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Legal Aid Justice Center and the Holt House (approx. ¼ mile away); Charles B. Holt: Born Into Freedom (approx. ¼ mile away); Holt In Charlottesville: Work and Success (approx. ¼ mile away); An American Dream: Home Ownership (approx. ¼ mile away); Changes in Holt's Neighborhood (approx. ¼ mile away); Washington Park: Separate and Unequal (approx. ¼ mile away); Holt's Architecture (approx. ¼ mile away); Asalie Minor Preston: Teacher & Philanthropist (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Charlottesville.
 
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. This is a list of Brown v. Board of Education markers.
 
Venable Elementary School and Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By J. J. Prats, May 4, 2013
2. Venable Elementary School and Marker
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 7, 2013, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,784 times since then and 217 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on May 7, 2013, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.

Share this page.  
Share on Tumblr
m=65187

CeraNet Cloud Computing sponsors the Historical Marker Database.
This website earns income from purchases you make after using our links to Amazon.com. We appreciate your support.
Paid Advertisement
Apr. 25, 2024