Virginia General Assembly

Prince Edward County Virginia Closes Entire Public School System for Five Years Rather Than Integrate

1959-06-26 00:00:00 +0000 UTC | Importance: 9/10

On June 26, 1959, the Prince Edward County, Virginia Board of Supervisors refused to appropriate funds to the County School Board, effectively closing the entire public school system rather than comply with federal court orders to integrate. This action represented the most extreme manifestation of …

Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors Virginia General Assembly Harry Byrd civil-rights institutional-racism massive-resistance education democratic-erosion

Virginia Enacts Massive Resistance Laws Authorizing School Closures to Prevent Integration

1956-09-21 00:00:00 +0000 UTC | Importance: 8/10

Following Senator Harry F. Byrd’s February 24, 1956 call for “massive resistance” to avoid implementing public school integration in Virginia, the Byrd Organization-controlled Virginia General Assembly passes a series of laws in September 1956 known as the Stanley Plan (after …

Harry F. Byrd Thomas Bahnson Stanley Virginia General Assembly Byrd Organization massive-resistance stanley-plan school-closure-laws byrd-organization virginia-segregation