75th Anniversary of the 1951 Moton High School Walkout Day

By virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution of Virginia in the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized:

75th Anniversary of the 1951 Moton High School Walkout Day

WHEREAS, on April 23, 1951, the students of Robert Russa Moton High School in Farmville, Virginia-led by the determination and vision of 16-year-old Barbara Rose Johns-organized a historic walkout to protest the unequal and unjust conditions imposed by segregated schooling; and

WHEREAS, these students, refusing to accept overcrowded classrooms, inadequate facilities, and systemic neglect, demonstrated extraordinary courage by demanding the quality education they were denied; and

WHEREAS, their bold action sparked the legal case Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, which became one of the five cases consolidated into Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark 1954 Supreme Court decision that declared segregated public schools unconstitutional; and

WHEREAS, the Moton Walkout stands as one of the earliest and most influential acts of student led civil rights activism in the United States, proving that young people possess the power to challenge injustice and reshape the nation's moral landscape; and

WHEREAS, the legacy of the Moton students continues to inspire movements for educational equity, civic engagement, and social justice across generations; and

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Abigail D. Spanberger, do hereby recognize April 23, 2026, as the 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1951 MOTON HIGH SCHOOL WALKOUT DAY in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.