CONTENT WARNING
Materials in the Library of Virginia’s collections contain historical terms, phrases, and images that are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and dehumanizing references to race, ethnicity, and nationality; enslaved or free status; physical and mental ability; and gender and sexual orientation.
Context
On May 17, 1954, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. Virginia's school system had been segregated since it was established in 1870, and had been protected by the Supreme Court's 1896 decision in Plessy v. Ferguson that segregation did not violate an individual's equal protection under the law as guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment. For decades the doctrine of "separate but equal" enabled Virginia and other southern states to prevent African Americans from experiencing full equality under the law. In the unanimous Brown v. Board ruling, Chief Justice Earl Warren described segregated schools as "inherently unequal."
The announcement of the Supreme Court’s decision brought about many reactions from the people of Virginia. There were those who responded with great joy, seeing this as a hard won victory for African Americans and elicited a sense of hope for full equality for all citizens. For others the Court's decision brought about a sense of fear and uncertainty.
Newspaper editors reflected these varied reactions. In the Journal and Guide, Norfolk's African American weekly newspaper, P. B. Young described the Brown decision as "a great victory" that affirmed the "unconstitutionality of racial discrimination" in America. Segregationist James J. Kilpatrick, editor of the Richmond News Leader, acknowledged that white Virginians would have to accept the ruling in some form, but stressed that "this is no time for a weak surrender" of the state's right to control its public schools.
Citations: P. B. Young, "Time for Wise, Prudent Action," Norfolk Journal and Guide, May 22, 1954, p. 1, and James J. Kilpatrick, "The Decision," Richmond News Leader, May 18, 1954, p. 10.
Standards
Suggested Questions
Scan It: Scan the two editorials. What words or phrases stand out to you in each? Explain why.
Post Activities
Looking at Language: Look at the language used in both editorials. What does it tell you about the person writing each of the editorials? What does it tell you about the audience of the editorials?
Form an Opinion: After reading the two editorials, form an opinion about why the reactions to the Brown v Board of Education decision differ? Use evidence from each article to support your opinion.
Dig Deeper: Using the Library of Virginia's online newspaper database, Virginia Chronicle, look at other newspapers in the days after the Supreme Court decision. How did editors respond in other parts of the state?