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6 May 2004 Grand opening of The Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the historic Supreme Court Case Brown v. Board of Education, Southside Virginia will celebrate the grand opening of its newest tourist destination, The Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail. The ceremony will be held at the R.R. Moton Museum in Farmville, Virginia on Friday, May 14 at 2:00 p.m., where Governor Mark Warner, with help from the students of Prince Edward County High School, will install the last of the 41 memorial signs, signaling the opening of the trail. Governor Mark Warner and Dr. Eugene Hickok, Under Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, will address 500 invited guests at the ceremony. Mr. Lacy Ward, Civil Rights Activist and one of the founders of the Trail, will also be available to discuss the importance of the Trail's opening at The Moton Museum as is relates to the Brown v. Board of Education decision. The Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail is the first memorial trail of its kind in Virginia, dedicated to commemorating the civil rights struggles of African-Americans, American-Indians and women. Encompassing 300 miles of Southern Virginia, the Trail is marked by 41 memorial signs, with each marker acting as a tribute to an event, place or person that profoundly affected the Civil Rights Movement. The R.R. Moton High School became a National Historic Landmark in 1998, and is the anchor of the Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail. In 1951, Barbara Johns led a protest against the conditions at the Moton School, which were massively overcrowded and far inferior to the all white high schools in the county. The student demonstration resulted in a walkout and a lawsuit, Davis v. Prince Edward County School Board, which became part of what is generally considered the most important ruling in the twentieth century, Brown v. Board of Education. For more information visit: http://www.varetreat.com/civilRights.asp The R.R. Moton Museum |