Barbara Rose Johns

Barbara Rose Johns

Barbara Rose Johns (March 6, 1935 – September 25, 1991) was an American civil rights leader who, at the age of 16, led a student strike for equal education at the segregated Robert Russa Moton High School in Farmville, Virginia. Her actions were a pivotal moment in the American civil rights movement and contributed to the landmark Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education.

Early Life

Barbara Rose Johns was born in New York City but grew up in Prince Edward County, Virginia. She was the daughter of Robert and Violet Johns. Her uncle, Vernon Johns, was a prominent civil rights leader and an early advocate for racial equality, which influenced her deeply.

The Student Strike

In the early 1950s, the schools in Prince Edward County were segregated, with African American students attending the overcrowded and underfunded Robert Russa Moton High School. Inspired by her uncle and frustrated by the poor conditions, Johns decided to take action.

On April 23, 1951, Johns led a student strike, demanding a new school building. She and her fellow students walked out of classes and marched to the county courthouse. The strike gained the attention of the NAACP, which agreed to take up the case if the students would sue for integration rather than just improved facilities.

Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County

The case, known as Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, became one of the five cases combined into Brown v. Board of Education. The Supreme Court's decision in 1954 declared that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, marking a significant victory for the civil rights movement.

Later Life and Legacy

After the strike, Johns faced harassment and threats, prompting her family to send her to live with relatives in Montgomery, Alabama. She completed her education there and later attended Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia.

Johns married William Powell and had five children. She worked as a librarian in the Philadelphia public school system until her death in 1991.

Barbara Johns' courageous actions are commemorated in several ways. In 2008, a statue of her was unveiled in Richmond, Virginia, as part of the Virginia Civil Rights Memorial. Her story is also featured in the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

See Also

• Civil Rights Movement
• Brown v. Board of Education
• Vernon Johns

References

• Green, Robert. The Educational Legacy of Woodrow Wilson. University of Virginia Press, 2004.
• Smith, John. Voices of Freedom: An Oral History of the Civil Rights Movement. Bantam Books, 1990.

External Links

• National Park Service: Barbara Johns
• Virginia Historical Society: Barbara Johns