Defenders of State Sovereignty and Individual Liberties facts for kids
| Formation | October 1954 |
|---|---|
| Founded at | Petersburg, Virginia |
| Dissolved | July 17, 1967 |
| Headquarters | Richmond, Virginia |
| Services | advocacy for strict segregation |
|
Membership (1955)
|
12,000 |
|
President
|
Richard Crawford |
The Defenders of State Sovereignty and Individual Liberties was a political group in Virginia. It was formed in October 1954 in Petersburg, Virginia. The group's main goal was to keep schools separated by race, a practice known as racial segregation.
This organization strongly supported the idea of "strict segregation" in schools. This meant they wanted white students and Black students to attend separate schools. They believed that states should have the power to make their own laws about this, rather than the federal government.
Contents
What They Believed
The Defenders of State Sovereignty and Individual Liberties wanted to make sure schools stayed segregated. They argued that this was part of "state sovereignty" (states having control over their own laws) and "individual liberties" (personal freedoms). However, these ideas were used to support keeping people of different races apart.
Their Plan for Virginia
In June 1955, the group published a document called Plan for Virginia. This plan outlined how they wanted to keep schools segregated. Richard Crawford was the president of the Defenders. His statements often used language that sounded fair but actually supported segregation. This is sometimes called dog-whistle politics, where words have a hidden meaning for certain groups.
Changing the State Constitution
The Defenders pushed for a change to Virginia's state constitution. This change would allow the state to give out "tuition vouchers." These vouchers were like money from the state that parents could use to pay for private schools. The idea was to help white students attend private schools if public schools became integrated (meaning students of all races attended together).
The plan also aimed to stop state funding for any public schools that allowed integration. This was a way to discourage schools from becoming mixed-race.
The Vote on Their Plan
On January 9, 1956, people in Virginia voted on this plan. The measure passed with 304,154 votes in favor and 146,164 votes against it. This showed that many people in Virginia at the time supported the idea of keeping schools segregated.
When the Group Ended
The Defenders of State Sovereignty and Individual Liberties continued their work for several years. However, the practice of racial segregation in schools was eventually ruled illegal by federal courts. The organization officially ended on July 17, 1967.
