The heat was sweltering on the evening of July 21st, 2008, but all three hundred chairs assembled outside of the Prince Edward County Court House were occupied as onlookers crowded Main Street. The citizens of Farmville, black and white, young and old, all looked in anticipation to a stage occupied by an assortment of individuals brought together to heal a tragic a past. Among those chosen to speak were L. Francis “Skip” Griffin, Jr., the eldest son of the local civil rights leader, the Reverend L. Francis Griffin; Joan Johns Cobbs, the younger sister of the late Barbara Johns; and the Superintendent of Prince Edward County Public Schools. Perhaps the most surprising speaker, however, was Marcy Wall, granddaughter of J. Barrye Wall, the former editor of the Farmville Herald who was known for his segregationist editorials. Despite the conflicts between the adults who came before them, these individuals stood in solidarity to dedicate a permanent monument in remembrance of those impacted by the school closures of 1959-64. This monument, known as the Light of Reconciliation, would shine from atop the Prince Edward County Courthouse as an enduring symbol of the community's desire to reconcile a tragic past.
The idea for such a monument came to Ken Woodley when he was driving home from a meeting in Richmond concerning the new Virginia Civil Rights Memorial that prominently featured Barbara Johns. As the Editor of the Farmville Herald, Woodley felt strongly that the Prince Edward community should join with the state in honoring the memory of Johns, and finally apologize for the school closures that had denied public education to so many of its citizens.
Woodley had always been astonished by the silence that has often surrounded the pivotal events of Farmville's civil rights history. Despite graduating from nearby Hampden-Sydney College, he didn't learn about these events until he went to work for the Herald and the wife of a Longwood professor pointed him to a copy of They Closed Their Schools by R.C. Smith in the college library's rare books collection. Woodley stated, “I could not conceive then and I cannot conceive now how a community could do that to its own children.” Woodley was moved to spread awareness of these events and foster reconciliation through the pages of the Herald.
Woodley had always been astonished by the silence that has often surrounded the pivotal events of Farmville's civil rights history. Despite graduating from nearby Hampden-Sydney College, he didn't learn about these events until he went to work for the Herald and the wife of a Longwood professor pointed him to a copy of They Closed Their Schools by R.C. Smith in the college library's rare books collection. Woodley stated, “I could not conceive then and I cannot conceive now how a community could do that to its own children.” Woodley was moved to spread awareness of these events and foster reconciliation through the pages of the Herald.
After twenty three years of encouraging understanding and reconciliation at the Herald, Woodley was especially proud to see the crowd gathered on the grounds of the county courthouse for the illumination ceremony for the Light of Reconciliation on July 21st, 2008. Earlier that same day, the Virginia Civil Rights Memorial had been unveiled on the grounds of the state capitol. The Prince Edward community not only joined the Commonwealth in honoring Barbara Johns and the student strikers of R.R. Moton High School, but the new light in the heart of Farmville would also shine in acknowledgement of the immorality of the schools closings.
The emotions of the past half century filled the air as the community gathered to recognize its troubled past. Marcy Wall, the granddaughter of segregationist editor J. Barrye Wall remarked, “A Johns, a Wall, and and a Griffin, all on the same stage, at the same time, all supporting the same thing. Who would’ve ever thought it could happen?" All of the speakers had inspiring words to offer about what the light meant to them personally; “This memorial means that this little girl’s mother, who took her only daughter miles away to live with strangers, can look down from heaven and know her sacrifice was worth it,” said Rita Mosely, a victim of the school closings. A poem titled Walking in the Footsteps of Light was written and recited by Woodley, eloquently proclaiming, “We have touched each other. We have touched ourselves. Skin to skin. Life to life. Light to light.” The Prince Edward County flag, which was draped on the memorial, was pulled off and given to representatives of the Moton Museum. Each member of the County Board of Supervisors read a part of a resolution that Woodley had helped develop for a marker to be placed of the court house grounds: it states, "Now, Therefore be it resolved, that we, the undersigned members of the Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors, believe that the closing of public schools in our county from 1959 to 1964 was wrong; and we grieve for the way lives were forever changed, for the pain that was caused, and for how those locked doors shuttered opportunities and barricaded the dreams our children had for their own lifetimes; and for all wounds known and unknown; we regret those past actions."
The emotions of the past half century filled the air as the community gathered to recognize its troubled past. Marcy Wall, the granddaughter of segregationist editor J. Barrye Wall remarked, “A Johns, a Wall, and and a Griffin, all on the same stage, at the same time, all supporting the same thing. Who would’ve ever thought it could happen?" All of the speakers had inspiring words to offer about what the light meant to them personally; “This memorial means that this little girl’s mother, who took her only daughter miles away to live with strangers, can look down from heaven and know her sacrifice was worth it,” said Rita Mosely, a victim of the school closings. A poem titled Walking in the Footsteps of Light was written and recited by Woodley, eloquently proclaiming, “We have touched each other. We have touched ourselves. Skin to skin. Life to life. Light to light.” The Prince Edward County flag, which was draped on the memorial, was pulled off and given to representatives of the Moton Museum. Each member of the County Board of Supervisors read a part of a resolution that Woodley had helped develop for a marker to be placed of the court house grounds: it states, "Now, Therefore be it resolved, that we, the undersigned members of the Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors, believe that the closing of public schools in our county from 1959 to 1964 was wrong; and we grieve for the way lives were forever changed, for the pain that was caused, and for how those locked doors shuttered opportunities and barricaded the dreams our children had for their own lifetimes; and for all wounds known and unknown; we regret those past actions."
Joan Johns Cobbs, the younger sister of Barbara Johns was given a candle to light as she suddenly spoke to the crowd in a spontaneous moment of emotion - she announced, “On behalf of my family, I would like to thank Ken Woodley for all he has done for racial reconciliation in this county and I would like to thank the Board of Supervisors - I feel like this is a moment that I am experiencing in my lifetime and it’s hard to believe, but I’m very grateful.” This addition was received generously by the crowd in attendance, who held their breath as Mrs. Johns Cobbs prepared to light the candle that would light the great monument in the courthouse behind her. The candle was set alight and the Light of Reconciliation was activated so it could permanently shine its light of hope, penetrating even the darkest night. And as a final proclamation to end the ceremony following the light's illumination, Joan Johns Cobbs came forward and proudly announced,“Barbara, this is for you.”
SOURCES
Green, Kristen. Something must be done about Prince Edward County: a Family, a Virginia Town, a Civil Rights Battle. New York: Harper Perennial, 2016.
Chapman, Rob. "PE Has a Guiding Light." The Farmville Herald, 23 July 2008.
Green, Kristen. Something must be done about Prince Edward County: a Family, a Virginia Town, a Civil Rights Battle. New York: Harper Perennial, 2016.
Chapman, Rob. "PE Has a Guiding Light." The Farmville Herald, 23 July 2008.