Black Petitions

Background on Petitions by Blacks, then called "colored." The use of Colored was contemporary terminology during segregation, used here only after consultation with the Black History Committee, Friends of the Balch Library, Leesburg, Va. and the Prosperity Baptist Church, Conklin

We also need to remember that some of " colored” petitions were signed by white citizens, ordinary neighbors and at other times by prominent member of society such as the Mayor of Leesburg or even John Ryan, a former Speaker of the House of Delegates, who supported the Black community in Conklin.  Segregation was the law of the land and unfairly inhibited Blacks, but some white citizens were willing to collaborate, though most still wanted to retain a separation of the races.  There was a gray area, which both Black and white former students have told us about.  Many were friends who played and talked together and did not understand the point of the law.  Still, some citizens were almost violently opposed to integration, to the point of potentially shutting down the public school system if forced to integrate.  Further, the School Board tried to force the Black community to agree to segregation in return for repairs and structural improvements to which they had a right. In other words, while northern Virginia was not Mississippi, neither was it an environment of equality under the law.

Using a petition to ask the government for change is a right guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, yet during segregation was risky for Blacks.  Blacks went to Black church settings in order to avoid political/civil rights problems, but also are thought to visited potential signatories.  It was therefore a special pleasure for our volunteers to come across a tight roll of red paper tied up with string, which we untied, allowing the paper to naturally open and flatten over a week's time.   What we discovered was a stack of petitions by parents and teachers wanting to improve the lives of their children and students. One group (2.5.A) was written by Blacks and the other group (2.5.B) was by Whites.  In our opinion, each of the petitions is a monument to the struggle for education.  They represent a true treasure, so we are in the process of developing a specific book on them, authored by Dave Prebish, one of our volunteers.  We are also scanning all of them, transcribing the text and developing biographies on the teachers and authors, often parents, so that the people who took the time to write the petitions won’t be forgotten.  Keep in mind as well that the school board and Superintendent didn't always agree with the practice of using petitions, as is seen in the white petition for Brooklyn, 2.5B Yr Feb 29, 1931.  We anticipate the book will be available late 2019, early 2020.

This page contains images of each petition and over time will also contain a full listing of everyone who signed.  Our hope, working with the public, is to develop a biography on each signatory.  Because between white and Black petitions, there are over 3000 signatures, this project will take a time.  In parallel to the website will also be a book due at the end of 2020 that will analyze the petitions, compare white and Black documents and provide a lot of information on their preservation and meaning.  It is our hope that people who read the book and the website will be inspired by the heroism of the signatories and look in their community for similar documents.

The "Colored" Petitions:

  • Airmont White School (potential conversion to a "colored" school)
    • White Petition:  2.5B Yr. September 14, 1931.  2.5B Yr 1931 Oppose Conversion of Airmont to Colored.  The school system contemplated allowing Blacks to use the former Airmont white school, which had been closed by the time of the petition.   Hearing of this possibility, a farmer from Round Hill, protested.  We have no information that the contemplated plans were executed, nor to what extent they were actually debated.
  • Ashburn Colored
  • Bluemont Colored School
    • 2.5A Yr. Oct 3, 1934. Bluemont Colored was closed due to pupil size.  Patrons wanted teacher and pupils transported to Rock Hill School, "as she passes through Bluemont going from Purcellville to Rock Hill School."  Most of the signers appear to have been white patrons.   For other researching this petition, we would be grateful to know more about the person who signed his or her name M.   2.5A Yr 1934 Transportation for Bluemont
  • Brownsville Colored
    • 2.5.A Yr. Dec 6, 1922. Brownsville Colored had two groups of parents, one wishing their children to attend school at the Odd Fellows Hall in Hamilton, instead of Purcellville.  In a related petition of Dec 22, 1922, a separate set of parents wanted their children continue schooling at Brownsville, not the Odd Fellows Hall.   2.5A Yr 1922 Brownsville Venue
  • Bull Run Colored
    • 2.5 A Yr. UNK.   List of 7th grade graduates from Bull Run.  Might have been part of petition recommending students be transported to Loudoun County Training Center; but we are uncertain.  2.5A Yr Unk Bull Grun Graduates
    • 2.5.A Yr. Abt 1954.  Bull Run school needs an extra room, due to the expanded pupil size.  To convince LCPS to do this, the parents pledged to help pay for the addition.  A visual examination in 2018 indicated that instead of a room being added to the structure, a wall was inserted to divide students into two groups.   2.5A Yr 1954 Bull Run Wants A Second Room
  • Coal Petitions
    • 2.5.A Yr. Jan 11, 1955.  Willisville was out of coal and only had dirt to burn.   2.5.A Yr 1955 Jan 11 Willisville out of Coal and just has dirt
    • Petitions from 1955 and 1956 from Willisville and Ashburn asking for coal.  Hillsboro might also be out of wood, according to note scribbled on one petition.  2.5A Yr 1955 1956 Willisville and Ashburn Coal Memos.
    • Note:  It was not unprecedented for schools to have trouble obtaining wood or coal, for example, in the Leesburg District in 1906.  "One of the trustees supplied two of the schools in his vicinity with wood.  It seems no one else in that section was willing to furnish the wood."  We don't know if one of the schools was the Training Center on Union Street; but the memo is interesting in that in implies that supplying wood or coal wasn't the responsibility of the school system, or it was, that some trustees were not up to the job.  Source:  Superintendent's Annual Report for the Year ending July 31, 1906 in EWP Archives: 3.3.1 Yr 1887 to 1925 Annual Reports Combined.
  • Colored Teachers of Loudoun
    • 2.5.A Yr. Mar 6, 1926.   Colored Teachers as a group, assembled at Round Hill and  wrote to the School Board through O.L. Emerick asking for a pay raise.  Emerick responded on March 12th that the School Board could not "find additional funds to grant the increase."    2.5A Yr 1926 Teachers Req Pay Raise
    • 2.5.A Yr. Jan 9, 1937,  Colored Teachers Association requested Jeanes/Slater funds be used to provide a Supervisor for the colored schools of Loudoun.  Emerick responded that this was not included in the Budget; "but it might be possible to take care of it a little later.  I have included $800 for transportation of colored children in our school budget and hope this will work out alright."  2.5A Yr 1937 Teachers Request Slater Supervisor
    • 2.5.A Yr. Jan 15, 1938.  Colored Teachers of Loudoun, writing in Leesburg asked for an increase of salary and provision of a nine month school term for all schools. Id that wasn't possible, they wanted full restoration of the depression salary cut of 1929-31.  2.5A Yr 1938 Teacher was Restoration of Salaries
  • Conklin Colored
    • 2.5.A Yr. Unk.   Conklin parents were unhappy with the instructor, indicating the students were not learning, and some were truant from school.2.5A Yr Unk Conklin Wants to Replace Teacher
    • 2.5.A Yr. June 16, 1924.  Letter from O.L. Emerick to John Ryan, former Speaker of the House of Delegates, who wanted Conklin left open. Emerick agreed to bring matter to attention of the School Board. Ryan had also included the names of prospective students in order to show that the school would be properly populated.   2.5A Yr1924 Ryan Supports School
    • 2.5.A Yr. Jan 14, 1941.  Exchange of letters between O.L. Emerick and C.T. Dean of Clifton and State Board of Education.  Emerick felt there were not enough children attending to justify it being open.  He also indicated there was an allowance as aid for transportation to all parents with children living more than three miles from schools, without regard to race. Emerick also pointed out that they did not transport white and colored children in the same bus, nor had considered them attending the same school. "These two things are what are really in the minds of the colored people and their white friends who are agitating this question the most.  This is course all a guess, but it is based on a little bit of information."   Note, whereas other files listed Blacks "colored," this one referred to "negro education."   2.5A Yr 1941 Mr. Dean wants Conklin to Stay Open
    • 2.5.A Yr. April 3, 1952.  The patrons of Conklin were unhappy with the teacher and asked for a replacement.  While we have no way to know if the instructor was excellent or not, this is one of a set of similar such petitions where the parents expressed their determination that they wanted the best education for their children, and refused to be satisfied with what was in their opinion substandard instruction.   2.5A Yr 1952 Conklin Wants Teacher Replaced
    • 2.5.A Yr. Perhaps 1954.  Patrons of Conklin requested that Leroy Allen be returned as the Bus Driver.   2.5A Yr 1954 Conklin wishes to Retain LeRoy Allen as Bus Driver
  • County-Wide League
    • 2.5.A Yr.  1930s.  County-Wide League requested approval of Gibbons lot for "Colored High School in Leesburg."  The petition, which cited the willingness of the Black community to raise all funds for this venture, was not dated; but thanks to research by Mary Fishback at the Balch Library, we learned that during the late 1930's the Black community in Loudoun organized fundraisers to purchase 8 acres of land on the east side of Leesburg from W.S. Gibbons.  The land was finally conveyed to Loudoun County for $1 on December 16, 1940.  See also Anniversary Booklet by the Mt. Zion Church in Leesburg, "Remembering our Legacy 1867-1992" by Reverand Arthur L. Holmes, Pastor.    2.5A Yr 1930s CountyWide on Gibbons
    • 2.5.A Yr. March 16, 1940.  Letter to O.L. Emerick from the County-Wide League, referencing a letter of March 12th from Charles H. Houston (NAACP) that called the Loudoun County Training School Building a fire trap.  Many particulars were provided to document this.    2.5A Yr 1940 CountyWide on Fire Trap
    • 2.5.A Yr.  Mar 20, 1945.  2.5.A Yr 1945 County Wide Endorses Janie Redwood on Consolidation Suggestions Local leagues and County-Wide League endorsed recommendation by Mrs. Janie Redwood at a public forum at Douglass High School on March 6.  Discussion was on Consolidation, with adequate transportation.  The leagues wanted some of the needs fulfilled by September.  See separate sheets for details, such as janitors for all schools, a toilet for girls at Purcellville and running water for Douglass Elementary, closets, floor repairs, interior painting, additional teachers and supplies, as well a transportation in some cases
      • At Willisville:  Rock Hill, Howardsville Community and Willisville
      • At Middleburg:  Middleburg, Bull Run, Marble Quarry and St. Louis
      • At Purcellville:  Purcellville, Hamilton, Powell's Grove, Hillsboro, Lincoln and Bluemont, Round  Hill and Hughesville.
      • At Leesburg:  Leesburg, Lucketts Community, Sycoline, Ashburn, Mountain Gap, Waterford and Watson.
      • Adequate Supplies and Equipment were also discussed.
      • Provision for an enriched curriculum was discussed, offering general shop and home economics on an elementary level.
      • Provisions were also requested for an adequate modern high school.
    • 2.5.A Yr. About 1951.  Mentioning complaints from 1948 and 1950, the petition from the County-Wide League asked for improvements to Douglass, fixing overcrowding and improper equipment.    2.5.A Yr 1951 County Wide wants Repairs at Douglass
  • Douglass Elementary and High School
    • 2.5.A Undated,  Probably first petition for an accredited High School for Blacks "After passing through the said Public Schools we are now compelled to send our children out of the County for a complete High School education.  The community proposed to raise their own funds to pay for this venture, and also wanted help from the Rosenwald and other funds.  As of 2/13/2019, we have no evidence that the Rosenwald funds was used for this purpose in Loudoun.  There are no Rosenwald schools in the county, though help did go to libraries "collections of books."  2.5A Yr Unk Blacks Request Accredited HS Building.
    • 2.5.A Undated but thought to be before 1941.  What appears to be mainly white petitioners objected to purchase of "a tract or parcel of land adjacent to the colored high school property  in the north section of the town of Leesburg and also adjacent to the Union cemetery of Leesburg and US Route No. 15."   2.5A Prob 1940 White Citizens Protest Proposed Venue of High School
    • 2.5.A Yr. May 9, 1951.  Edwin C. Brown, representing the Loudoun Chapter of the NAACP, complained about the toilets at Douglass Elementary (still at the Training Center Building), indicating that if this problem wasn't fixed, the community would need to file a federal law suit.  The response by O.L. Emerick of May 14, 1951 indicated that the situation would be remedied before the fall term. Emerick felt compliance was a problem because of competing obligations to construct a new school building to accommodate those children and the ones at Waterford, Ashburn and Mountain Gap. He then said that is the suit went forward, the school board "will be inclined to use funds that might be made available to make the improvement to defend itself in the courts." He then asked Brown to appear before the school board, "as it is their purpose and intention to improve the situation at this school."  2.5.A Yr. 1951 May 9th Toilets and NAACP At Douglass Elementary
  • Greggsville
    • 2.5.A  Yr.  Oct 4, 1929.  A letter from Lucy Hunt of Philomont  and a petition with parent's names and those of their children request that a school be opened in Greggsville in the 1929/30 Academic year.    A note scribbled onto the letter indicated that the request was not successful.   2.5.A Yr 1929 Request to Keep Greggsville Open
  • Hamilton
  • Howardsville
  • Hughesville
  • Leesburg Training Center
  • Lovettsville
  • Mount Pleasant at Lucketts Community
  • Middleburg (Grant)(some about St. Louis when related to the closure of Grant)
    • 2.5.A Yr. About 1932.  Request to keep Virginia Morton and Ms Rosa Carter.  The view ways that they had done a better job that prior instructors over the previous five years.   2.5.A Yr 1930s Middleburg wants to keep Rosa Carter and Virginia Morton
    • 2.5.A Yr. November 7, 1944.  Request to expand school in Middleburg, to avoid the spread of disease.   2.5A Yr 1944 Middleburg Must Expand to Avoid Disease
    • 2.5.A Yr. Nov 16, 1944  and Dec 5, 1944.  James Raby of the NAACP .  Deals with dispute over where new school should be.  This was part of a large discussion over both transportation (the need for a bus for Blacks) and a decision over the venue for the new school, either Middleburg, Saint Louis or perhaps west of Middlburg on 50.  The location would eventually be decided for Saint Louis, where Banneker is now sitting.  Although St. Luis is a village, one established especially for Blacks, it is currently considered a suburb of Middleburg.    2.5A Yr 1944 Nov And Dec Raby on Transportation and Middleburg
    • 2.5.A Yr. Dec 14, 1944.  Correspondence from O.L. Emerick to James Raby on plans to improve conditions.  The school board felt "a new school should be provided for about 160 children around St. Louis and Middleburg.  Includes letter of support (Feb 7, 1945) from PTA and Community League of Middleburg committing to work with Emerick "and Dr. Booth to purchase ground for the construction of a new colored school at Middleburg."  Much is made in the exchange about the need for transportation and the school system's inability to funds projects, given the needs of the war effort. 2.5A Yr 1944 Dec 14 Middleburg wants new school and Buses
    • 2.5.A Yr. Jan 15, 1945.  Thanks for agreement to relief crowded condition by renting a room and providing additional staff.   2.5A Yr 1945 Middleburg to Rent Space
    • 2.5.A Yr. Jan 16, 1945.  Correspondence between PTA (Community League0 of Middleburg and O.L. Emerick regarding his announcement of December 13, 1944  the hiring of an additional teacher and renting an additional room.  The PTA said they did not recognize John Wanzer or anyone of his committee (the County-Wide League); instead only recognized  attorney James Raby.   2.5.A Yr 1945 Middleburg wants Expansion or New Building
    • 2.5.A Yr. March 10, 1945.  Discussion between James H. Raby and O.L. Emerick regarding the potential use of the Baptist Church basement in Middleburg for a school room, and whether this would be for a permanent period.  Raby said his constituents wanted a new school building.  Emerick agreed with the idea of a new building and said he wanted to sue the additional room temporarily.  As for a new school building, the selected location was opposed, so the school system was looking for something new, difficult in the middle of a war.  Emerick also pushed back on the ideas of law suits, indicating that patience would offer reward.   2.5.A Yr 1945 March 10 Exchange with Raby
    • 2.5.A Yr. June 26, 1945.  Charles H. Smith wanted his name removed from petition collected by Reverend Foy for a new school. His wife had signed but he didn't approve of the method of voting.  2.5.A Yr 1945 Jan 26 Middleburg Charles Smith Petition
    • 2.5.A Yr. Feb 6, 1946.  PTA and Community League for the Grant school opined that Saint Louis was an inappropriate location for the new school and provided a detailed argument for MacVille, a community east of Middleburg on the north side of route 50.  2.5A Yr 1946 Macville Proposal for Middleburg
  • Nokes
  • Paeonian Springs
  • Purcellville (this was the Willing Worker's School)
  • Religious Issues
    • 2.5.A Yr. May 11, 1931. and May 22.  Exchange between O.L. Emerick and Ministerial Union of Loudoun County in session at Hamilton ME Church, South, May 11, 1931. Complained that amusements offered graded and high school children might be at variance with Christian teaching.  Emerick asked for details.   2.5A Yr 1931 May Religious Leaders Complain of Games
  • Saint Louis (pre-Banneker)
  • Waterford
  • Willisville
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