“We Were Just Going to School” From 10 Stories: 50 Years Later — Volume 1 📍In the summer of 1959, Prince Edward County officials made a choice that would shape generations—shutting down the public school system rather than integrating. In response, a private academy was quickly assembled. Classes were spread across 15 buildings—churches, lodges, and borrowed spaces. That fall, Linda Hogan entered fourth grade. 📚 “We were kids. We really didn’t know why the schools were divided,” she remembered. For her, it felt like school had simply moved. But behind the scenes, tuition placed a real burden on many white farming families. As the years passed, some students dropped out or transferred to nearby public schools when the costs became too much. What seemed like “just going to school” was part of a much larger story. 🔗 Read Linda’s full story at motonmuseum.org/learn/magazine-project #Moton1951 #EducationHistory #AmericanHistory (fb)

"There will be no public schools." 📅 June 2025 marks 70 years since Prince Edward County’s defiant response to Brown v. Board of Education II, the Supreme Court ruling that called for school desegregation “with all deliberate speed.” On June 1, 1955, the Richmond News-Leader summarized the moment with chilling clarity: 🗞️ “It could be said that the courts ruled at noon that [Blacks] must be admitted to Prince Edward public schools, to which the county responded at 8 o’clock—there will be no public schools.” Just six days later, on June 7, 1955, county officials met at Jarman Hall. That same day, the Farmville Herald published: 🗞️ “We have taken a stand for principle which we believe is right, namely, separate schools for the white and [Black] races in Virginia.” 🗞️ “Let it be said also that the people of this county are education conscious…” This was more than rhetoric. It was the beginning of a five-year school shutdown—leaving thousands of Black students without access to education. 🗝️ Come see where this history unfolded. Visit GALLERY IV: Virgina Responds at the Robert Russa Moton Museum to learn what happened next—and why it still matters today. 🎓 Plan your visit or explore online at: www.motonschoolstory.org #Moton1951 #CivilRightsHistory #AmericanHistory (fb)