Jennings Ordinary, Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jennings Ordinary
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Jennings Ordinary, April, 2015
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 Jennings Ordinary
Location in Virginia
Jennings Ordinary
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Virginia |
| County | Nottoway |
| Elevation | 502 ft (153 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| GNIS ID | 1493142 |
Jennings Ordinary is a small, quiet community in Nottoway County, Virginia, in the United States. It's called an "unincorporated community" because it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. It was also known as Jennings Store. Even though it's a small place, Jennings Ordinary played an important role in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.
Jennings Ordinary: A Small Place with a Big History
Jennings Ordinary is located in the state of Virginia. It's a place where people live, but it's not a city or a town with its own mayor or city council. Instead, it's part of the larger Nottoway County. The community is known for its peaceful, rural setting.
A Place for Change: Civil Rights History
In the summer of 1965, a house in Jennings Ordinary became a very important place. It was the first main office for a group called the Virginia Students' Civil Rights Committee (VSCRC). This group was special because it included both Black and white college students from Virginia. They wanted to help bring about equal rights for everyone.
The VSCRC was formed after a meeting at Hampton Institute in December 1964. This meeting was organized by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). SNCC was a major group in the Civil Rights Movement. They wanted to bring the ideas and energy of their "Freedom Summer" project from Mississippi to Virginia.
Training for Change
In June 1965, some important leaders from SNCC visited the house in Jennings Ordinary. These leaders were Stokely Carmichael, Charlie Cobb, and Chuck Neblett. They came to teach the college students how to organize communities. This meant showing them how to work with local people to make changes and stand up for their rights.
Part of their advice was for the students to go out into different counties in Southside Virginia. This area was known as the "Black Belt" because many African American families lived there. The students followed this advice for the rest of the VSCRC's time in the 1960s. They worked hard to help people in these communities.
