This lesson was originally published in 2018 and was updated in 2025.
Introduction
Linda Brown was nine-years old at the time she was denied enrollment in an all-white school. Brown, the central figure in the Brown v. Board of Education case, died on March 25, 2018, in Topeka, Kansas, at the age of 75.
More than 60 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed segregation in Brown v. Board of Education. The landmark case was a radical shift from the 1896 Supreme Court decision Plessy v. Ferguson, which had declared that “separate but equal” accommodations were legal. Although the victory had been won in the courtroom, it would take the next decade and beyond for the law to be implemented in the American public school system.
Desegregation was met with fierce opposition nearly everywhere it was attempted. One such story took place in Prince Edward County, Virginia, where the school system closed for five years rather than integrate its schools. Through the lens of that story, this lesson explores the right to education and the battle that ensued to end centuries of unequal opportunities for African-Americans.
Source: Virginia Museum of History and Culture
Subjects
Social studies, government, English
Estimated time
Two 45-minute class periods
Grade level
Middle and high school
Materials
- Education questionnaire
- What are human rights? handout
- Online timeline
- Article on Robert F. Kennedy and Nobel Prize Winner Ralph Bunche
- Biography of Robert. F. Kennedy
- Biography of Barbara Johns
- Closing the schools handout
- School comparison handout
- Prince Edward County Schools handout
- Analysis of Prince Edward schools closings worksheet
Warm up activities
- Read the article, "Linda Brown, central figure in school segregation case, dies," to learn more about Brown's life.
- In the article, Sherrilyn Ifill of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), said Brown was "one of a band of heroic young people who, along with her family, courageously fought to end the ultimate symbol of white supremacy — racial segregation in public schools."
- How do you think Brown stands as an example of how young children can transform their country?
- How do you think the family remained so courageous and united?
- Ifill said the case was not easy for the Brown family, but that "her sacrifice broke barriers and changed the meaning of equality in this country.”
- Can you think of other young people who have demonstrated the importance of equality and other values Linda Brown possessed?
- In the article, Sherrilyn Ifill of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), said Brown was "one of a band of heroic young people who, along with her family, courageously fought to end the ultimate symbol of white supremacy — racial segregation in public schools."
- Pass out the Education Questionnaire to students and have them complete the statements.
Ask students, “What are human rights?” and write their answers on the board.
If students lack prior knowledge on human rights, show students the following 10-minute film on human rights:
Tell students that today they are going to learn about how human rights changed the political landscape of Virginia and about the human rights defenders who fought for them.
Hand out the What are Human Rights? page and have students answer the first question using the information they learned from the video.
Ask students to describe someone who could be called a human rights defender. Would they have a specific gender, age, background, race, religion, and ethnicity? Or could anyone become a human rights defender?
Explain that in the story of Prince Edward County, each of these five human rights will play a role, and it is their job to identify when they come into play. Possibly the most important right in this story is the right to education, so let’s take a deeper look at it.
Main Activities
Back to School
Pass out the handout Closing the Schools to students, and then read the first three paragraphs to them.
Ask students for their reaction, and then have them read the reactions of the Prince Edward County students.
How could this have happened?
Explain to the students that education and discrimination had gone hand and hand in America since its inception. Most slaves were forbidden to read or write, and even once slavery had been abolished, the education offered to black people was not equal to their white student counterparts. Only with Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education did things begin to change in the classroom, but it was not easy and it did not happen overnight.
Hand out the School Comparisons handout and have students find Prince Edward County on their map of Virginia. Then, have students look at the differences between the schools and talk through what they notice.
Show students the timeline and start by reading Plessy v. Ferguson. Then jump to the case in Prince Edward County, Virginia, of which Barbara Johns was a part, which focused on protesting the inequality of segregated schools. Have students read the biography of Barbara Johns handout.
Ask students if they think Barbara Johns was a human rights defender and have them explain their answer. Which of the five UDHR articles did she use in her fight for equal rights?
Next, take a look at this article of another historic civil rights event, a controversy involving Robert F. Kennedy and his invitation of Nobel Prize winner Dr. Ralph Bunche to speak at the University of Virginia. Explain that at the same time that Barbara Johns was organizing students to protest in Prince Edward County, another human rights defender was challenging racial stereotypes on his own college campus – the University of Virginia.
Ask students: How did Robert F. Kennedy’s actions promote equal treatment between races? How could something as seemingly innocent as the action of inviting a guest speaker make such a huge statement? Pass out Robert F. Kennedy Biography to students and take turns reading it aloud.
Move to the next event on the timeline, “Brown v. Board of Education.” Show students this video if they are unfamiliar with the case. If they are, just move on. Ask students, “How did this court case change the future of the U.S.? How would the entire country benefit from this ruling?”
Explain to students that the change did not happen overnight and that those involved in the Civil Rights Movement encountered many more challenges along the path to equality. Scroll through the next events to show students what else was going on during the 1950s and to give them context for the upcoming events.
Scroll to the event on the Prince Edward County school board case, which closed public schools to avoid integration, and explain to students that they will take a closer look at how this could happen after Brown v. Board of Education had passed earlier.
The Battle for Prince Edward County Schools
Source: Library of Congress
Pass out Prince Edward County schools handout and, in small groups, have students read the story aloud. During the reading, facilitate discussion around the questions that organically come up for students as they read.
You may want to suggest that students keep a list of:
- Things that surprised you
- Strong reactions you felt during the reading
- Questions you still have about what happened
As a class have students report back their reaction to the story and the questions above.
Then have students complete analysis of Prince Edward schools closings on their own.
Conclusion activity
To conclude, guide students in exploring the topic of the right to education around the world, including the reality that many people still lack access to this fundamental right. This topic opens the door to meaningful conversations about justice, access, and global inequality. Below are resources to help start these important conversations in your classroom.
- A 2013-2014 report by the Department of Education came out concluding from data that students of color face systematic racism in the public school system - play the story for the students and get their take on the situation.
- Play UNESCO’s three-minute video, "57 million children out of school" for students. After, ask students for their reactions to the information they just heard. Are they surprised? Are they concerned? Continue the discussion by asking students what risks and consequences they predict will come from not making education a basic human right for all children.
- Educate others around you about the history of Virginia’s civil rights battle by telling your family, friends, and classmates about what happened in Prince Edward County.
- Write to your congressperson to ask that they support legislation that creates equal opportunities for all students.
By Katie Gould, former PBS NewsHour Classroom Teacher Resource Producer
