From Brown to Green: School Desegregation in Roanoke, Virginia (thesis)

Abstract

This thesis examines the trajectory of desegregation between 1952 and 1970. The first chapter looks at the early years: the establishment of black schools in the city from the late nineteenth century through the years immediately after the Brown decision. It describes the black community's efforts to force the school board to establish equal facilities and the politicization of that community around questions of educational justice. The chapter also includes a comprehensive examination of the Brown decision and the national reaction to it. Chapter Two focuses on the forms of resistance common in Roanoke during the sixteen-year span between Brown and Green. The final chapter examines the case that finally desegregated Roanoke's schools: Green v. School Board of the City of Roanoke, Virginia. This case was originally filed in 1962 and remained in litigation until 1970 when the school system finally desegregated. This final chapter will complete the story of Roanoke's journey from Brown to Green. [page 7 of introduction]