New Kent Historic Courthouse Open House – Education Matters

New Kent Historic Courthouse

Saturday, April 28, 2018 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Join us at the New Kent Historic Courthouse for an open house event and an education through pictures. We will be displaying the Strong Men and Women in Virginia History Panels for Dr. Green as well as other displays and school photos. Members of the Steering Committee for Green v County School Board of New Kent County Commemoration will be on site to discuss this landmark event. View the flier for the open house and to get the schedule for when the New Kent Historic Courthouse will be opened click the flier link: APRIL 28TH – GREEN V NK DISPLAY ON EDUCATION.

Opening Ceremony with Case Presentation and Panel Discussion

George W. Watkins Elementary School Auditorium

Saturday, May 5, 2018 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

May 5^th provides an introduction to the Green v County School Board of New Kent County VA court case. It is the beginning of a series of commemorative events celebrating the legacy of Dr. Calvin C. Green and how he sacrificed his family for what he believed was the right thing to do.

This first program, features a panel discussion centered around parents, teachers, and students who lived thru the ordeal. Parents will discuss why the pros outweighed the cons in their decision to send their young children to an all white school.

Teachers will discuss the ethical decisions involved in putting forth an effort as a teacher, to educate, to be fair, and to uphold the public’s confidence in the integrity of the education system while teaching children of another race for the first time.

Students, some being the first 21 and other students who entered the all white New Kent High School under the Freedom of Choice plan, will discuss their racial encounters and the new friends that were made, causing them to be stronger for doing so. This program is being narrated by Jody Allen, William and Mary College in Williamsburg, VA and Brian Daugherity, Assistant Professor of History at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.

There will also be an associated Kids Corner for younger learners. The kids corner will discuss the story of the U.S. Supreme Court case, Dr. Calvin C. Green et al. v. County School Board of New Kent through two half hour stage hand musicals with civil rights music of the sixties. There will also be two story telling activities of the Green case and the community in New Kent in the 1960’s. Join us for a panel discussion, skits, storytelling, music and refreshments.

We Face the Dawn Discussion

Heritage Public Library

Monday , May 14, 2018 6PM

Join us, the Heritage Public Library staff, and Margaret Edds, author of We Face the Dawn: Oliver Hill, Spottswood Robinson, and the Legal Team That Dismantled Jim Crow to talk about her book and the desegregation struggle. For more information call 804-966-2480.

School Tour and History Presentations

George W. Watkins Elementary School

Tuesday, May 15, 2018 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Join us May 15^th at George W. Watkins Elementary School for a tour of the school and an overview of its important role in history leading up to the Green v County School Board of New Kent County VA case.

Celebration Program Hosted by NAACP

Sunday, May 20, 2018 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM

New Kent High School Auditorium

The One Voice Chorus Ensemble

Formed from members of the One Voice Chorus of Richmond, the One Voice Chorus Ensemble is a 25-member group that takes the mission of OVC into places where the larger 100+ group is unable to perform. Firmly committed to bridging the racial divide in Richmond through “Singing the Beauty and Power of Diversity. Singing a diverse repertoire that spans the American Musical Heritage as well as Classical Masterpieces of the western choral canon, OVCE has performed in venues across the Greater Richmond area, as well as for the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC; Bruton Parish Church of Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia; among others.

Lynn Atkins

American Conductor Lynn G. Atkins became the second artistic director of One Voice Chorus, The Stephen M. and Cheryl G. Goddard Chair, in April 2013. Since that time, he has led the 100-member chorus and 35-member ensemble in season concerts and special events in the Central Virginia area that span genres and key into the mission of “Singing the Beauty and Power of Diversity”. He has been praised for the originality and the diverse nature of his ambitious concert planning for the volunteer organization, which has included collaborations with the Richmond Symphony, Petersburg Symphony, SoundWorks Voice Ensemble of Central Virginia, as well as the Gospel Choir of Armstrong High School, Richmond. The 2017-2018 Season has seen Dr. Atkins lead OVC in joint ventures with Rock N’ Roll Chorus of NJ, the Petersburg Symphony, and the Howard University Gospel Choir. In addition to his work with OVC, Dr. Atkins is the Director of Choral Music at the Collegiate School in Richmond, where he teaches choral music to students in grades 5-12. He also serves as artistic director of the James River Ringers Handbell Ensemble and sings professionally as the Tenor Section Leader at Bruton Parish Church in Colonial Williamsburg, VA. He maintains a busy schedule as conductor and recitalist on the East Coast. Lynn has been honored to serve as an Adjudicator as well as Guest Conductor for honor choirs at the county and division level in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Rita Smith

Rita Smith has worked with a wide variety of choirs, vocalists, and instrumental soloists, both as an accompanist and collaborative musician. A native Virginian, she studied Piano and Church Music at Bluefield College and Carson Newman College. Since 2005, she has enjoyed her work on the music staff at Second Baptist Church (River Rd. and Gaskins) where she serves as an accompanist and director of the Young Adult Ensemble; as well as staff pianist at the Baptist Theological Seminary in Richmond. Ms. Smith has served as accompanist for One Voice Chorus and the One Voice Chorus Ensemble since 2011.

50th Anniversary Celebration: Green vs. County School Board of New Kent County, Virginia

New Kent High School Auditorium

Sunday, May 27, 2018 at 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Celebration of 50th Anniversary of Green v. County School Board of New Kent, Virginia, New Kent High School, Sunday, 27 May 2017, 2:00 PM. This event is free an open to the public. This will be the culminating event for this historic month. There will be a reception, short film on “Green vs. New Kent County School Board, and a panel discussion on “Civil Rights in the 21st Century and Beyond.” Our committee intends for this event as well as all events in May 2018 to serve as a catalyst to begin a dialogue on education, human and civil rights in the 21st Century and beyond. Direct, honest communication lead to understanding and dealing with these issues.

The panelist include:

Moderator – Dr. Stanley Jones

Dr. Stanley Jones is Superintendent of Danville Virginia Public Schools and former Principal of Lee-Davis High School in Mechanicsville, VA.

Dr. Wilmer Leon

Wilmer J. Leon III, Ph.D. is a Political Scientist whose primary areas of expertise are Black Politics, American Government, and Public Policy. For 11 years he was a Lecturer/Teaching Associate in the Political Science Department at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Currently, Dr. Leon is a nationally broadcast radio talk show host on SiriusXM Satellite radio channel 126, nationally syndicated columnist, and regular political commentator on national and international news programs. Dr. Leon earned a BS degree in Political Science from Hampton Institute, a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) from Howard University, and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Howard University. He was a contributing author to Democratic Destiny and the District of Columbia (Lexington Books, 2010). His latest book is “Politics another Perspective: Commentary and Analysis on Race, War, Ethics, and the American Political Landscape. 2016 Author House. Dr. Leon is a regular contributor to TruthOut.org, The Root.com, Politics In Color.com, BlackStar News.com, Black Agenda Report, Black Politics on the Web, and over 200 newspapers and other web sites across the country. He can also be seen as a regular contributor and analyst on TV-One’s News On Now with Roland Martin, Press-TV and RT TV. A serious void exists in the public discourse relating to the issues that directly and/or disproportionately impact the African-American community. Dr. Leon discusses issues such as the prison industrial complex, environmental racism, school vouchers, health care, crime policy, economic globalization, American domestic and foreign policy from as much of a non-biased and academically accurate perspective as possible. Dr. Leon’s perspective and lectures are grounded in the history of the African American community and the radical tradition of African American scholarship.

Ms. Michaele Turnage Young

Michaele N. Turnage Young serves as Senior Counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (“LDF”), where she litigates education and voting rights cases. Prior to joining LDF in 2017, Ms. Turnage Young served as a Trial Attorney with the Educational Opportunities Section of the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice. There, she prosecuted 13 school desegregation cases in seven federal court jurisdictions across the country. Her efforts led school districts to desegregate their students and faculties, equalize access to course offerings, equalize their facilities, transform their discipline practices, and dramatically reduce the amount of instructional time students lost to exclusionary discipline. Ms. Turnage Young received the Attorney General’s Special Achievement Award in recognition of her work advancing educational equity. Ms. Turnage Young clerked for the Honorable Joan B. Gottschall of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. She received her law degree from Harvard Law School, where she served as a student attorney with the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau and as an editor of the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review. Ms. Turnage Young earned her undergraduate degree from UCLA. She is licensed to practice in California.

Dr. Lenneal Henderson

Lenneal Henderson is currently an Adjunct Professor of Government at the College of William and Mary. He is also Assistant Dean for Civic Engagement and International Affairs, Distinguished Professor of Public and International Affairs and Senior Fellow, William Donald Schaefer Center for Public Policy at the University of Baltimore. Born in New Orleans and raised in San Francisco, California, he received his A.B., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of California, Berkeley and his post-doctoral work at the Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. He is the former Daniel T. Blue Endowed Chair in Political Science at North Carolina Central University and former Head of the Department of Political Science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He has also taught at the University of San Francisco and Howard University. He has worked for the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of State, and the Environmental Protection Agency. He is currently Chair of the Board of the Maryland Humanities Council. In Fall 2016, the Governor appointed him to the Board of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and Public Policy. As well, Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland appointed him to the Board of Directors of the Reginald Lewis Maryland Museum of African American History and Culture.

Dr. Michael Meltsner

Hired by Thurgood Marshall, Professor Michael Meltsner was first assistant counsel to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in the 1960s, where he handled major civil rights cases before the federal courts. Among his clients were the North Carolina doctors and dentists who ended Southern hospital racial segregation, Mohammad Ali and numerous death row inmates challenging capital punishment. After co-founding the clinical program at Columbia Law School, he served as dean of Northeastern University School of Law from 1979 until 1984. His memoir, The Making of a Civil Rights Lawyer, was published in 2006. Among his other writings are: Cruel and Unusual: The Supreme Court and Capital Punishment; Public Interest Advocacy; Reflections on Clinical Legal Education; and Short Takes, a novel. His most recent book, With Passion: An Activist Lawyer’s Life, has just been published by the Twelve Tables Press. His 2011 play, “In Our Name: A Play of the Torture Years,” has been performed in New York and Boston to great acclaim. In 1977, Professor Meltsner, who is also a marriage and family therapist, was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship. He has served as a consultant to the US Department of Justice, the Ford Foundation and the Legal Action Center and has lectured in Canada, Egypt, Germany, India, the Netherlands and South Africa. In 2000, he was named a fellow of the American Academy in Berlin and conducted research on German constitutional law. He returned to the School of Law in 2005 after five years as a visiting professor and director of the First-Year Lawyering Program at Harvard Law School. In 2010, he received the Hugo Bedau Award for excellence in death penalty scholarship. In 2012, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by John Jay College (CUNY) and described as the “principal architect of the death penalty abolition movement” in the United States. In September, 2017 he was selected to deliver the prestigious Alfange Lecture at U Mass Amherst.

Kimberly J. Robinson

Kimberly J. Robinson is a professor at the T. C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond. She is a national expert and speaker on educational equity, equal educational opportunity, civil rights, and the federal role in education. She previously served in the General Counsel’s Office of the United States Department of Education where she helped draft federal policy on issues of race, sex, and disability discrimination.

Events and Locations

New Kent Historic Courthouse Open House – Education Matters