Norfolk 17 facts for kids

The Norfolk 17 was a group of Black students in Norfolk, Virginia. They were the first Black students allowed to attend all-white schools in Norfolk on February 2, 1959. This was a very important step in ending segregation in schools.

Why Schools Were Segregated

In April 1951, Black students in Farmville, Virginia protested outside their school. They wanted better education because their school was in very poor condition. About a month later, on May 23, 1951, the NAACP filed a lawsuit. They wanted to end segregation, which meant keeping Black and white students in separate schools.

It took three years for the U.S. Supreme Court to make a big decision. In 1954, they ruled in a case called Brown v. Board of Education. This ruling said that having separate schools for Black and white students was against the law. It said "separate but equal" schools were not equal at all.

However, some people in Virginia did not want schools to mix. On August 27, 1956, Governor Thomas B. Stanley created a plan called the Stanley Plan. This plan threatened to stop money for any schools that allowed Black and white students to learn together. But District Court Judge Walter Edward Hoffman ruled that Black students had to be allowed into all-white schools. This was to follow the Brown v. Board of Education decision.

People who were against mixing schools also tried a plan called Massive Resistance. Senator Harry F. Byrd and Governor J. Lindsay Almond Jr. supported this idea. They threatened to close any school in Virginia if the government made them mix students. Norfolk was one of six places where schools actually closed. This meant 10,000 students could not go to school. It was the biggest school closing in Virginia at that time.

The Norfolk 17's Journey

Eventually, the school board in Norfolk agreed to let Black students attend white schools. But first, the students had to pass a special test and have interviews. Many students took the test, but they all failed. Later, they found out the test questions were for students one to three grades higher than them. Judge Hoffman was surprised that everyone failed. He demanded that some students be allowed in.

Because of this, seventeen students were finally allowed into all-white schools on February 2, 1959. Before they went, they were prepared for what might happen. They were told what to do if people were mean to them, like spitting or pushing. The principal of the First Baptist Church also helped tutor them. This made sure they knew the same lessons as the white students.

Facing Challenges

On their first day, the students faced a large crowd of white people. The crowd threw things at them and took pictures. Police were there to protect them. But the officers only stopped people from throwing big things like logs and stones. They did not stop people from throwing smaller things like sticks and pebbles.

The Norfolk 17 later described their time at school as "terrible." They said people spit on them and knocked them down stairs. Their personal belongings were also destroyed. Teachers told them to sit near the door so they could leave easily. They also sat at the front of the class so the teacher could see if other students did anything to them. Some students would even cover their faces when the Black students walked into the room.

Despite all this mean treatment, the Norfolk 17 were very brave. They said they did not miss a single day of school. They went through the pain every day to make sure that schools would finally be mixed.

Their Legacy

After they graduated, some members of the Norfolk 17 went on to earn advanced degrees. Some, like Andrew Heidelberg, wrote books about their experiences. They also continue to speak up to keep their group's story alive. In February 2019, the city of Norfolk celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Norfolk 17. This honored their courage and their important role in ending segregation in schools.

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