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Brown vs. Board of Education Anniversary

Governor McAuliffe marked the 60th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision, Brown versus Board of Education, with a visit to a Richmond high school.

African-American students from Virginia had joined that case in the 1950s after walking out of their racially segregated school in protest of its dilapidated conditions and inferior curriculum.

The governor provided a brief civics lesson—tying issues six decades ago to issues today.

The Governor spent a lot of time at Open High School talking about the state budget impasse. Even when asked about how he's making efforts to improve education in Virginia, some of his responses came full circle to Medicaid expansion, and how including that federal funding in the budget would also free up money for education.

Just last month, some of the students marched down to Richmond City Hall to complain about what they say are deplorable conditions at the school.

The students were not punished for their walkout and even spoke briefly with Richmond's Mayor. They asked that when council votes on its budget, it includes enough money to fully fund school improvements and repairs.

 

Tommie McNeil is a State Capitol reporter who has been covering Virginia and Virginia politics for more than a decade. He originally hails from Maryland, and also doubles as the evening anchor for 1140 WRVA in Richmond.