Prince Edward County Courthouse

Introduction

Prince Edward County Courthouse was the site of a May 20, 1961, rally organized by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to recognize the seventh anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education and to protest the continued closure of the public schools. With over 1,000 people in attendance, Roy Wilkins, Executive Secretary of the national NAACP, and Oliver Hill, former head of the legal staff of the Virginia State Conference NAACP and newly appointed assistant to the federal housing secretary, criticized local officials and state politicians for denying black children public education.

An image of a large rally gathering outside the courthouse, overseen by law enforcement

Photo: Richmond Times-Dispatch

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