Former students to celebrate 60 years since desegregation of Brunswick High School
Library of Virginia commemorates living survivors
RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) — The 60th anniversary of the Brunswick 15 is just a few days away.
It’s a historic moment in our commonwealth’s history when 15 African American students forcibly desegregated Brunswick High School.
Now, the Library of Virginia will honor the living survivors.
“Carolyn Burwell-Tolbert, Elvertha Cox Gillis, Vernal Cox, Barbara Evans, Sandra Goldman Jackson, Marvin Jones, Sr., Beatrice Malone, Queen Marks, Cecelia Mason-Cameron, Yvonne Stewart-Easter, Florence Stith-Jackson, Colonel Rosa Bell Stith, M.D., Ashton Thurman, Joyce Walker and India Walker-Shearin,” said Catherine Fitzgerald Wyatt, with the Library of Virginia.
They are the Brunswick 15.
On Sept. 9, 1964, 10 years after the Brown v. the Board of Education ruling, these 15 students broke the color barrier at Brunswick High School in Lawrenceville, Virginia.
“The General Assembly was an active proponent of something called massive resistance,” Wyatt said. “Which was basically using laws and courts to forcibly stall all the desegregation process that plays out in communities like Brunswick all across the state of Virginia.”
She says this was a reoccurring theme in many communities in the commonwealth after the Brown ruling.
The Brunswick 15 took power into their own hands and helped change their communities.
“Four of the Brunswick 15 actually became the first African Americans to graduate from the high school on June 10, 1966, and many of them have remained active members of the community since,” Wyatt said.
Eight of the Brunswick 15 are still alive, and the Library of Virginia will honor them on Thursday.
“Folks today stand on the shoulders of the people who came before them and who paved the way,” said Wyatt. “So in terms of the Brunswick 15, they allowed for not only themselves but for every African American who came after them to have access to free and equal public education in Brunswick county.”
On that day, there will be a panel discussion about their courageous actions. It starts at 6 p.m., and registration is required.
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