The Robert Russa Moton Museum, situated on the apex of Longwood's campus, was opened to celebrate and remember the people in Farmville and Prince Edward County who stood up in opposition of inequality and segregation in public schools. More than half a century after the historic student-led protests of 1951, the building that was once the home of R.R. Moton High School was converted into a museum that now stands as a memorial to the struggle for civil rights in education.

In 1950, when it served as Prince Edward County's black high school, Moton’s enrollment stood at nearly 500 students. Although it was built to hold only 180 students, the county's board of supervisors refused to pay for construction of any additions to the school except for a few cheaply built structures that served as extra classrooms. ”There were three of these, called tar-paper shacks, which is basically a wood frame, but you don’t go back and brick it. So the walls are only as thin as tar-paper,” said Dr. Lacey Ward, the Moton Museum’s new director.

 

By 1951, the students had had enough: Barbara Johns, the 16-year-old niece of civil rights leader Vernon Johns, led the students on strike. Impressed by their determination, attorneys Oliver Hill and Spottswood Robinson of the NAACP discussed the idea of using the case to argue for school desegregation. Lonnie Calhoun, Director of Multicultural Affairs, explained, "They told the folks that they would take the case if it was not just about more resources for the black school. So they included integration, and they took the case. The students and the parents agreed, and so the case went forward."

In an attempt to avoid the lawsuit, a new building, now Prince Edward High School, was built as an equalization school for black students. However, the modernized facility didn’t appease those demanding desegregation. Even with the new school opening in 1953, the lawsuit against the country continued.

In the lower courts, the case was found in favor of the county. When appealed to the Supreme Court, the lawsuit against Prince Edward County schools was argued alongside four other cases that together became Brown v. Board of Education. The Supreme Court overturned the decision of the lower courts and ruled in favor of Brown. While many celebrated the victory, the decision to end segregation was only the first step in the process of school integration. 

Uneasiness, opposition and confusion existed around the idea of desegregation, and many schools around the country remained segregated even after the court’s decision. Longwood faculty member Darlene Bratcher, who was a child in Farmville at the time, recalls the conflicting sentiments. “I vaguely remember conversations between the older children in my neighborhood and the adults in the community about what changes might occur with the end of segregation. There were several teachers in my grade school…that felt integration would help prepare us to learn how to get along with everyone.  Of course, there were others who did not agree with this viewpoint.  It was very confusing for me and my friends," she explained.

The following year, Prince Edward County schools, along with many other school districts around the country, remained segregated. Despite the 1955 court ruling that integration should take place with “all deliberate speed,” a number of tactics by local governments to prevent integration caused continued delays.

“Eventually, the Supreme Court says, in 1959, after hearing several more arguments on exactly how deliberate ‘deliberate speed’ is, how fast they have to do it, they say you have to do it now. So in opposition, the county appropriated zero dollars for education. So no more for teachers’ salaries, no money for fuel, no money for electricity,” said Ward.

The schools were forced to shut down due to the lack of funding. The board of supervisors had no options for opening private schools for whites in the existing public school buildings without also allowing blacks to attend. This led to the formation of Prince Edward Academy, a system of all-white private schools. While some parents could afford the tuition and others were given scholarships, the majority of white families faced financial hardship during this time as well. Unfortunately, there were fewer options for black students to continue their education.

“It was a very sad time for Prince Edward County and all of its residents.  With the school closings, many young African-American children were forced to attend school in surrounding counties, some moved to other towns and cities with their parents or relatives to get their education, but many were unable to attend school anywhere. I remember my brother would tutor young African-American children at a training center set up in town.  I would go with him from time to time to help younger children with reading,” said Bratcher.

The county’s continued refusal to integrate brought more and more national attention. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Robert Kennedy and a number of civil rights group and politicians, looked for ways to improve conditions in Prince Edward County. A system called Prince Edward Free Schools was opened for the 1963-64 school year, and was a program aimed at preparing the young population for the re-opening of public schools in the fall of 1964.

A variety age groups were represented in many classes because of the difference in educational exposure students received during school closures. “The educators had to come up with new strategies. ‘How do we deal with students who are socially advanced beyond the academic curriculum that we’re giving them?’ And we started seeing teaching techniques that really went back to the one-room schoolhouse,” said Ward.

Even when the Prince Edward County public school system re-opened in 1964, challenges arose with the inconsistent levels of education, new policies and public opinions. At each step, the struggle for integration in the schools challenged the students, teachers and other members of the community and in the United States at large.

While it was a difficult time for everyone who experienced it, there are many people who have found hope in the progress made by the same community that was once so divided. “It is very important to realize that what happened in Farmville could have happened anywhere, and did happen in some parts of the country…I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to return to Farmville and see how much it has changed and grown together.  I truly hope that some day people will not look at Farmville and Prince Edward County and remember only what happened during that tumultuous time, but rather look at how we have worked together to heal those wounds and move on. I want us to look to the future and build a strong, unified community that provides opportunities for everyone equally. It will take everyone working together this time,” said Bratcher.