STRATFORD JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

STRATFORD
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
ON FEBRUARY 2. W, STRATFORD
HIGH BECAME THE FIRST RACIALLY
INTEGRATED SCHOOL IN VIRGINIA.
THE LONG BATTLE TO INTEGRATE
VIRGINIA'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOLLOWED
THE U.S. SUPREME COURT'S 1954
DECISION IN BROWN v. BOARD OF
EDUCATION, WHICH HELD THAT
RACIALLY SEGREGATED PUBLIC SCHOOLS
ARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL. THE INTEGRA-
TION OF STRATFORD SIGNALED THE DD
OF VIRGINIA'S POLICY OF "MASSIVE
RESISTANCE, WHICH INVOLVED
CLOSING SCHOOLS RATHER THAN
INTEGRATING THEM. THE SCHOOL WAS
BUILT IN 1951 IN THE INTERNATIONAL
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE AND NAMED FOR
ROBERT E. LEE'S BIRTHPLACE. IT IS
LISTED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF
HISTORIC PLACES.


Submitted by @stuherrm