Story By CHRIS COOK | Video by RYAN FLETCHER
Nearly 60 years ago, at a site located at what is now the southern tip of Longwood University's campus, students at Robert Russa Moton High School provided a spark that helped fuel one of the most pivotal movements in American history.
On April 23, 1951, those students, led by Barbara Johns, staged a walk-out to protest deplorable conditions at the school. In doing so, those students joined the rising tide of activism known as the Civil Rights Movement and provided a spark that further ignited the national crusade for equality.
That story of the Moton walk-out and the aftershocks it generated are now preserved in the former school, which has been declared a National Historic Landmark and converted into the Robert Russa Moton Museum. Following a renovation in 2013, the historic site now details the story through a permanent exhibition titled "The Moton School Story: Children of Courage."
Last week the Longwood men's basketball team got a first-hand look at that history during a tour of the museum that exposed the entire roster and coaching staff to the inspiring story of those students. During this Saturday's game against Hampton, the Lancers will return that hospitality by honoring the story of Moton High School, which is named after Hampton graduate and former Dean of Men at the institution, Robert Russa Moton.
"I feel like as a staple in the Farmville community, not only representing Longwood athletics but the university itself, it was important we came [to the museum] and really just learned about the history," said sophomore
Christian Wilson, a native of Queens, N.Y., and communication studies major who transferred to Longwood from junior college basketball powerhouse South Plains Community College.
"Certain things wouldn't be able to happen today if not for major steps that were taken in this very building. I'll probably never be able to meet some of the people that took these courageous steps, but they definitely have an impact on all of us no matter what race or background we come from."
At the museum, the Lancers retraced the journey of the Moton walk-outs, beginning with an immersive video that recreated the initial assembly in which Johns organized the protest. The team saw the resistance the students faced from the school's faculty and administration, fearing for the safety of the students, and the collective voices they all found in pushing back against the injustices that robbed them and their peers of an equitable formal education.
From there, Moton Museum assistant director of education Leah Brown took the team on a guided tour that detailed the story of the school, from the Moton student's joining in the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education lawsuit, to Virginia's adoption of Massive Resistance in response to national desegregation, and the ripple effects, and eventual triumph, that followed.
"This was very impactful for all of us," said senior
JaShaun Smith, a sociology major from Raleigh, N.C. "As a team, some people probably didn't know the history of the museum or the history of Farmville, and to experience that with my teammates is great. If not for what happened here, I might not have had the chance to play basketball at this level, or even to attend college. I wouldn't have gotten to know my teammates, and my life, for sure, would have turned out very differently."
More information about the Moton Museum is available at
www.MotonMuseum.com. The museum itself is open to guests Monday through Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. and by appointment.
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