VP Debate Brings Longwood University’s Little-Known Civil Rights Legacy to National Stage
Longwood University, located in rural Farmville, Virginia, was not well-known among Americans until it was chosen as the host for the upcoming vice presidential debate. However, not many are aware that this university holds a significant place in the history of the civil rights movement.
Adjacent to the Longwood campus is the former Moton High School, which now serves as a museum. In 1951, black students staged a walkout to protest the deplorable conditions at the school. This act is considered one of the early catalysts for the civil rights movement and was later included in the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education, where the Supreme Court abolished the doctrine of "separate but equal" schools.
Originally founded in 1839 as the Farmville Female Seminary Association, the Longwood campus witnessed the presence of both General Robert E. Lee and General Ulysses S. Grant during the Civil War as they marched towards Appomattox, where Lee ultimately surrendered in 1865.
The selection of Longwood University as the debate venue holds tremendous symbolic meaning, as it represents the convergence of the end of the Civil War and the beginning of the civil rights movement. Longwood President W. Taylor Reveley IV expressed the profound significance of this juxtaposition.
J. Samuel Williams Jr., one of the students involved in the 1951 strike, expressed his hope that the debate would shed light on the past and present race relations in the country. He emphasized that there is still much work to be done in the fight for equality.
Besides captivating millions of viewers, professors and staff at Longwood University are using the debate as a valuable teaching opportunity for local K-12 students. Through various initiatives such as citizenship forums and curriculum trunks, they aim to educate students about civics, history, and the enduring legacy of Longwood and Moton in the civil rights movement.
The story of Moton High School and its role in the civil rights movement may not be widely known beyond the immediate vicinity of Prince Edward County. Longwood University aims to bridge this knowledge gap and ensure that the impact and significance of Moton’s history reaches a wider audience and age group.
The protest staged by the Moton students, led by Barbara Johns Powell, was primarily driven by the poor conditions at their school rather than the issue of segregation. Moton lacked basic facilities such as a cafeteria, gym, and science labs. The inadequate additions made to accommodate the growing student population were nothing more than shacks, lacking essential utilities.
Williams recounts the stark disparities between Moton and the neighboring white high school, where the Moton students received secondhand football uniforms and library books filled with racial slurs. He remembers the striking inequality and the realization that white facilities were far superior.
The student strike resulted in a two-week school shutdown. Although the district eventually met their demands and opened a new school in 1953, and the Supreme Court declared "separate but equal" education unconstitutional in the following year, these victories were short-lived.
The history of Moton High School and its significance in the civil rights movement may be lesser-known, but Longwood University is determined to rectify this by using the platform of the vice presidential debate to illuminate this crucial chapter in American history.
In the past, white students in the county were given the opportunity to attend a private school, which was funded by tuition grants from the state and donations from those who supported segregation. On the other hand, black students had to either go live with their families in other areas, attempt to attend school in a different county, or go to informal "free schools." As a result, black students were mostly unable to attend school during that time.
During his time in college, Williams played a role in organizing the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in Raleigh. He, along with others, also took part in the March on Washington in 1963 and a series of large protests in Farmville in the same year, all of which were aimed at reopening the schools.
The battle against school segregation continued in Virginia even in the 1970s. At that time, Linwood Holton, who was the governor of Virginia, made the decision to send his children, including his daughter Anne (who is now married to Kaine), to predominantly black schools in Richmond.
Williams mentioned that, apart from one professor named Gordon Moss, who refused to teach U.S. history without addressing the issue of slavery, the Moton protesters received little support from Longwood. Moss later made the choice to send his children exclusively to black schools once they reopened. According to Williams, Longwood did not live up to its principles during that time and failed to publicly support desegregation.
When Reveley became the leader of the university in 2013, he felt it was important to rectify this failure. His grandfather, who was the president of Hampden-Sydney College nearby, played a role in desegregating that institution. He even hosted Robert F. Kennedy, who was the Attorney General at the time and an influential figure in the civil rights movement, bringing attention to the school closures in Prince Edward.
In 2014, Longwood’s board of visitors passed a resolution apologizing for not taking a stronger stance against segregation. The university now also provides financial support to the Moton museum.
Reveley believes that Farmville and Longwood symbolize a significant place and the idea of leadership through reconciliation, making it a powerful backdrop for national debates, especially considering the current issues the country is grappling with.
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