Category
Poster - Textual or Investigative
Description
Brown v. Board of Education is a Supreme Court case that marked the beginning of the end of systematic segregation in the United States. The landmark decision of 1954 sparked feelings of hopeful anticipation for some Virginians, and outrage in others. Consequently, the Massive Resistance movement gained traction as an attempt to halt school integration. Public schools across Virginia began closing their doors to avoid desegregation. In response, brave African American students filed lawsuits against their school districts. The legal process was lengthy and messy in areas of Virginia like Warren County. The literature on Brown v. Board and the generalities of the Massive Resistance Movement is vast, but research on the monumental cases that dissolved the efforts of segregationists is limited. Particularly, the personal stories of those who tirelessly fought for their right to attend the same public schools as White students are less widely known. This research fills the void by taking a thorough dive into the history of school desegregation in Warren County, Virginia. This research seeks to uncover those layers of the past by knocking down walls between presuppositions and the true history that took place. To discover the full truth, researchers read primary sources and interviewed a few of the people who were instrumental in the fight for integration in Warren County. Betty Ann Kilby, who was the lead plaintiff in Betty Ann Kilby, et al. v. Warren County Board of Education was among the interviewees. Hoping to highlight the voices of those who lived through this challenging time, the researchers compiled the facts and first-hand accounts into a multimedia documentary. This made their findings more accessible to the public. The final film shares the deeply emotional and inspiring story of the fight for school integration in Warren County, Virginia.
Knocking Down Walls: Uncovering the Story of School Integration in Warren County, Virginia
Poster - Textual or Investigative
Brown v. Board of Education is a Supreme Court case that marked the beginning of the end of systematic segregation in the United States. The landmark decision of 1954 sparked feelings of hopeful anticipation for some Virginians, and outrage in others. Consequently, the Massive Resistance movement gained traction as an attempt to halt school integration. Public schools across Virginia began closing their doors to avoid desegregation. In response, brave African American students filed lawsuits against their school districts. The legal process was lengthy and messy in areas of Virginia like Warren County. The literature on Brown v. Board and the generalities of the Massive Resistance Movement is vast, but research on the monumental cases that dissolved the efforts of segregationists is limited. Particularly, the personal stories of those who tirelessly fought for their right to attend the same public schools as White students are less widely known. This research fills the void by taking a thorough dive into the history of school desegregation in Warren County, Virginia. This research seeks to uncover those layers of the past by knocking down walls between presuppositions and the true history that took place. To discover the full truth, researchers read primary sources and interviewed a few of the people who were instrumental in the fight for integration in Warren County. Betty Ann Kilby, who was the lead plaintiff in Betty Ann Kilby, et al. v. Warren County Board of Education was among the interviewees. Hoping to highlight the voices of those who lived through this challenging time, the researchers compiled the facts and first-hand accounts into a multimedia documentary. This made their findings more accessible to the public. The final film shares the deeply emotional and inspiring story of the fight for school integration in Warren County, Virginia.
Comments
Undergraduate - 1st Place Award Winner