The public schools in Harrisonburg City and Rockingham County began the process of integration during the fall of 1964. Among the first wave of black students to cross the color line in the Shenandoah Valley were the six children of Samuel and Lucille Ewell. The Ewells had moved to Harrisonburg from Farmville in the wake of the 1959 school closures in Prince Edward County. In addition to losing access to education for their children, the closures had also cost Mr. Ewell his job as an assistant principal and teacher at Farmville's new R.R. Moton High School. The crisis forced the family to seek refuge with Mrs. Ewell's relatives who lived in the historically segregated Northeast Neighborhood of Harrisonburg. The family initially struggled to make ends meet until better employment could be secured. Like so many black Virginians, Massive Resistance upended their lives and fundamentally violated their rights.
In the fall of 1960, the Ewell children enrolled at the all-black Lucy F. Simms School in Harrisonburg. They worked hard with teachers such as Mrs. Mary Fairfax to make up the year of education they had missed because of the closures in Prince Edward County. Despite the initial struggle to catch up, the Simms School provided the Ewells with the public education that was still being denied to their former classmates in Farmville. Mr. Ewell worked a number of odd jobs until he was able to secure a teaching position at West Luray High School in neighboring Page County. While the Ewells certainly took pride in their new school and community, their previous experiences in Farmville made them keenly aware that segregated schools would never truly be equal.
In the fall of 1960, the Ewell children enrolled at the all-black Lucy F. Simms School in Harrisonburg. They worked hard with teachers such as Mrs. Mary Fairfax to make up the year of education they had missed because of the closures in Prince Edward County. Despite the initial struggle to catch up, the Simms School provided the Ewells with the public education that was still being denied to their former classmates in Farmville. Mr. Ewell worked a number of odd jobs until he was able to secure a teaching position at West Luray High School in neighboring Page County. While the Ewells certainly took pride in their new school and community, their previous experiences in Farmville made them keenly aware that segregated schools would never truly be equal.
Mrs. Ewell's desire for a better life for her family led her to become involved in the local struggle for civil rights. In 1963, a local group of Brethren and Mennonites had been inspired by the national civil rights movement to form the Rockingham Council on Human Relations to bring about desegregation within their local community. The group realized that their organization needed to reflect the change that they sought to bring about, so they invited area blacks to join in their common mission. Mrs. Ewell became a member and provided vital leadership and perspective to the group. Mr. Ewell remained somewhat reticent, but with Mrs. Ewell's urging, the family took park in the group's effort to address segregated housing and the legacy of red-lining by moving to the all-white Park View neighborhood on the north side of Harrisonburg.
The Park View community was a predominantly Mennonite neighborhood that surrounded Eastern Mennonite College (presently Eastern Mennonite University). This location was selected because many area Mennonites were sympathetic to the Christian and democratic tenets of the civil rights movement. A fellow council member was able to find a home on College Avenue that could be rehabilitated and rented to the Ewells. Following in Christ's command to "love your neighbor as thyself," several residents helped Mr. Ewell make needed improvements to the home. Margaret Ewell recalled, “Within the first month or two . . . the neighbors all gathered and built us a sidewalk, a front and back porch, and we had a big community picnic."
The Park View community was a predominantly Mennonite neighborhood that surrounded Eastern Mennonite College (presently Eastern Mennonite University). This location was selected because many area Mennonites were sympathetic to the Christian and democratic tenets of the civil rights movement. A fellow council member was able to find a home on College Avenue that could be rehabilitated and rented to the Ewells. Following in Christ's command to "love your neighbor as thyself," several residents helped Mr. Ewell make needed improvements to the home. Margaret Ewell recalled, “Within the first month or two . . . the neighbors all gathered and built us a sidewalk, a front and back porch, and we had a big community picnic."
"I never felt different, I never felt like I was treated differently, I made good friends,
fast friends, long-term friends."
- Karen Ewell
fast friends, long-term friends."
- Karen Ewell
That fall, Mrs. Ewell took her children to enroll at nearby Park School. The original Park School was established in 1918 when Eastern Mennonite School (6-12) established an elementary school to serve the needs of their faculty and staff. Park School started as a private institution, but later ran into financial problems and became part of the public school system in 1921. Eight years later, Rockingham County built a new three room school out of brick in order to accommodate the needs of the growing community. Given that Park School was largely comprised of Mennonite students who later attended Eastern Mennonite School, the county hired Mennonite teachers and administrators to operate this unique community school. These hiring practices and the location of the school within the Park View neighborhood created a degree on isolation and independence from the rest of the county school system. This proved especially beneficial when the Ewell family unofficially integrated Park School in 1964.
Rockingham County and Harrisonburg City Public schools announced a two-year process for integration that would begin in the fall of 1964. The first year was optional and the all-black schools continued to operate for one more year. Starting in 1966, the all-black Lucy F. Simms School was closed and black students were transferred to the previously all-white school that served their respective communities. While this was a great step forward in terms of integration and equality, the Northeast Neighborhood lost a valuable community center that was specifically invested in the success of black students. The process was further complicated by the Massive Resistance laws enacted by the Byrd Machine to prevent integration. Despite the failure to prevent integration during the late 1950s, there were still laws on the books that were designed to delay the process. For example, every black student still had to apply and be approved by a three member Pupil Placement Board in Richmond. When Mrs. Ewell came to steps of Park School on September 8th, 1964, she was unaware that her children would need this documentation in order to be enrolled.
Rockingham County and Harrisonburg City Public schools announced a two-year process for integration that would begin in the fall of 1964. The first year was optional and the all-black schools continued to operate for one more year. Starting in 1966, the all-black Lucy F. Simms School was closed and black students were transferred to the previously all-white school that served their respective communities. While this was a great step forward in terms of integration and equality, the Northeast Neighborhood lost a valuable community center that was specifically invested in the success of black students. The process was further complicated by the Massive Resistance laws enacted by the Byrd Machine to prevent integration. Despite the failure to prevent integration during the late 1950s, there were still laws on the books that were designed to delay the process. For example, every black student still had to apply and be approved by a three member Pupil Placement Board in Richmond. When Mrs. Ewell came to steps of Park School on September 8th, 1964, she was unaware that her children would need this documentation in order to be enrolled.
Me and my siblings were going to school, we didn’t know we were breaking any color barriers or anything because my parents didn’t really make a big deal out of any of it.
- Samuel Ewell, Jr.
Jon Scott Bender was the Park School Principal who greeted Mrs. Ewell when she arrived. He was kind and welcoming, but he also realized that county policy required him to comply with the arbitrary state laws. When Bender consulted with the County Superintendent, he was instructed to send the Ewell children home. As a teacher, Bender's conscience would not allow him to deny education to anyone. He quickly consulted with his fellow teachers, and they all agreed to ignore the policy. They were all risking their jobs, but they refused to violate their own Christian principles. Bender believes that the Superintendent shared his views, but he was unwilling to say this publicly. Bender's act of defiance was never addressed and the Ewell children continued their educational paths at Park School.
This same week, 100 miles southeast of Park View, Prince Edward County Public Schools reopened their doors for the first time in five years. The Supreme Court had ruled in the case of Griffin v. Prince Edward County that the closure of public schools to prevent integration was unconstitutional. Just as the Ewell family joined with dozens of other students to integrate Rockingham County Public School during the fall of 1964, many of their former classmates in Farmville were finally integrating the schools of Prince Edward County after a thirteen year struggle that had begun in 1951 with Barbara Johns and the student strike at R.R. Moton High School.
This same week, 100 miles southeast of Park View, Prince Edward County Public Schools reopened their doors for the first time in five years. The Supreme Court had ruled in the case of Griffin v. Prince Edward County that the closure of public schools to prevent integration was unconstitutional. Just as the Ewell family joined with dozens of other students to integrate Rockingham County Public School during the fall of 1964, many of their former classmates in Farmville were finally integrating the schools of Prince Edward County after a thirteen year struggle that had begun in 1951 with Barbara Johns and the student strike at R.R. Moton High School.
We can see the things that we have that are in common, at the end
of the day we all want the same things...we all want people to be caring people.
- Elizabeth Rohrer
The Ewell Family and the Integration of Park View (Part I)
Our group produced this film with the support of the Ewell Family and Rockingham County Public Schools.
The Rockingham Council on Human Relations (Part II)
In 2018, another group of students continued this research and produced a Part II of the film above that focuses on the Rockingham Council on Human Relations. The film was produced by the following Broadway High School students: Noah Buracker, Brynn Hinegardner, Seth Keim, Ravyn Mongold, and Aaron Mugrage.
SOURCES
Allen, Doris Harper and Esther Yoder Stenson. The Way It Was, Not the Way It Is: a Memoir. Harrisonburg, VA, D. H. Allen, 2015.
Bender, Jon. "Jon Bender Park School Principal." Park Elementary School Reunion: Park View Mennonite Church. Transcribed by Jim Rush. 2016. Print.
Green, Kristen. Something Must Be Done about Prince Edward County: a Family, a Virginia Town, a Civil Rights Battle. New York, Harper Perennial, 2016.
Kennedy, David, M. and Cohen, Lizabeth. The American Pageant. Boston: Cengage Learning, 16 Ed. AP Ed. 2016. Print.
“Negroes Enter Three All White Schools.” Daily News Record, Vol. 67 ed. 285, 4 Sept. 1964. Print.
“New York Public Schools Now Face White Parents' Boycott.” Daily News Record, Vol. 67 ed. 289, 10 Sept. 1964. Print.
Park School: A History. Print
“Prince Edward Co. Ends Long Public Education Drought.” Daily News Record, Vol. 67 ed. 285, 9 Sept. 1964.
Robert Russa Moton Museum. “Samuel Ewell.” Farmville.
Rush, James. “Park School.” Harrisonburg.
Wooden, Carlene Bumbrey. " Report and Overview of Prince Edward Country Training Centers." NAACP: Virginia State Conference. 1960. Print.
Allen, Doris Harper and Esther Yoder Stenson. The Way It Was, Not the Way It Is: a Memoir. Harrisonburg, VA, D. H. Allen, 2015.
Bender, Jon. "Jon Bender Park School Principal." Park Elementary School Reunion: Park View Mennonite Church. Transcribed by Jim Rush. 2016. Print.
Green, Kristen. Something Must Be Done about Prince Edward County: a Family, a Virginia Town, a Civil Rights Battle. New York, Harper Perennial, 2016.
Kennedy, David, M. and Cohen, Lizabeth. The American Pageant. Boston: Cengage Learning, 16 Ed. AP Ed. 2016. Print.
“Negroes Enter Three All White Schools.” Daily News Record, Vol. 67 ed. 285, 4 Sept. 1964. Print.
“New York Public Schools Now Face White Parents' Boycott.” Daily News Record, Vol. 67 ed. 289, 10 Sept. 1964. Print.
Park School: A History. Print
“Prince Edward Co. Ends Long Public Education Drought.” Daily News Record, Vol. 67 ed. 285, 9 Sept. 1964.
Robert Russa Moton Museum. “Samuel Ewell.” Farmville.
Rush, James. “Park School.” Harrisonburg.
Wooden, Carlene Bumbrey. " Report and Overview of Prince Edward Country Training Centers." NAACP: Virginia State Conference. 1960. Print.