HAMPTON, Va. — “In the field of public education, the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate education facilities are inherently unequal.”
With those words, back in 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruled segregation in schools to be unconstitutional. Brown v. Board of Education Topeka is a landmark case, commemorating 70 years of precedent on Friday.
On Thursday afternoon, local and state leaders, including Attorney General Jason Miyares, former Gov. Bob McDonnell and State Sen. Mamie Locke, gathered at Hampton University to commemorate the anniversary and discuss the future of equal education for all.
University President Ret. Lt. Gen Darrell K. Williams started the program by drawing parallels to the anniversary and the Emancipation Oak, a historic landmark on campus. In 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation was read in the South for the first time under the massive tree.
“[It’s] a revered national landmark that stands as a national symbol of resilience and liberation,” Williams told attendees. “The fact that we’d be talking about this historic event on the campus of Hampton University, just down the street from the Emancipation Oak is an honor for me and the university,” he later said to 13News Now.
Though the original Brown v. Board case came from Topeka, Kansas, Miyares pointed out its many connections to Virginia.
“75% of the plaintiffs were from Virginia,” he explained. “Led by an extraordinary Virginian, 16 years old at the time, Barbara Johns in 1951, led a walkout in her school protesting segregation.”
Johns led the student strike at R.R. Moton High School in Farmville. Her case, Davis v. Prince Edward County, is the only student-initiated piece in the Brown v. Board case grouping.
This anniversary comes as questions of diversity, equity and inclusion in schools are top of mind in the state. Virginia Commonwealth and George Mason Universities recently rolled back plans to require students to take DEI classes, after scrutiny from the Youngkin Administration.
On the subject, Williams said, “I’m very saddened by what we’re seeing in the DEI arena. Anything that inhibits access to equal education at any level, in my view, is a step in the wrong direction.” He added, “Many of the things I fought for during my 37 years of military service were equality and equity. I still think that way today.”
Miyares said, “I know the governor is committed to teaching all of our history, the good and the bad. Moving forward, that’s the Virginia that we want. We want Virginians to be proud of our achievements and also recognize where we have failed.”