Barbara Johns attended Robert Russa Moton High School in Prince Edward County, Virginia. The school suffered from substandard conditions. They had no cafeteria, no gymnasium, and it rained through the roof. On April 23, 1951, Johns took action.
The school building was in dire need of renovation, but the local community was willing to wait. Johns said the time was now and she led all 450 students to the auditorium and proposed that everyone walk out until a new building was under construction.
This protest was cited in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka where school segregation was declared unconstitutional. John’s actions would be referenced in the court to demonstrate the terrible conditions Black children were expected to learn in.
In 1959, Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors refused to appropriate money to public schools and closed the doors of many. Things progressed slowly in education and began to rise in the 80s when equity in schools became a political issue.
The story of Barbara Johns teaches us that caution sometimes has to be thrown to the wind. When change is needed now, we need to step up.