Spotswood High School students, Pria Dua and Elizabeth Kidd, won the first-ever "Barbara Johns Youth Change Agent Award." They were recognized for both their film titled "Knocking Down Walls" and their ongoing work to prepare and apply for a state historical marker in Harrisonburg. This will honor Judge John Paul's ruling, which ordered the desegregation of Charlottesville City and Warren County Public Schools, as the first court order to carry out the Brown decision from the federal courthouse in Harrisonburg. This landmark decision played a crucial role in advancing civil rights in Virginia and beyond.
During the closing ceremony, they screened a segment of their film about Massive Resistance at the Longwood Jarman Auditorium. The RCPS Social Studies Supervisor, Beau Dickenson, said during the welcome address, "From the very auditorium where schools were once closed in Prince Edward, we now lift up the stories of fellow student plaintiffs who paid an incredible price as young people and defeated Massive Resistance."
The audience members' reactions to the powerful presentation demonstrated the session's emotional impact. The occasion acted as a reminder of the value of education and the continuous battle for equity in our educational system. After the conclusion of the presentation, Joan Johns Cobbs, Brown plaintiff and sister to Barbara Johns, took the stage and led the crowd in giving the students a second standing ovation.
The emotional impact of this session was clear from the audience members' reaction. The event served as a reminder of the importance of education and the ongoing fight for equality in our schools.
