The History of Princess Anne County Training School and Union Kempsville High School Princess Anne County/Virginia Beach, Virginia 1925-1969 Joanne Harris Lucas Dissertation submitted to the faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy In Educational Leadership and Policy Studies N. Wayne Tripp, Co-Chair Travis W. Twiford, Co-Chair Carol S. Cash Violet J. Hoyle February 14, 2013 Virginia Beach, Virginia Keywords: Black, County Training School, Desegregation, Industrial Education, Massive Resistance, Segregation, Separate-But-Equal The History of Princess Anne County Training School and Union Kempsville High School Princess Anne County/Virginia Beach, Virginia 1925-1969 Joanne Harris Lucas Abstract The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the history of Princess Anne County Training School and Union Kempsville High School in Princess Anne County/Virginia Beach, Virginia. The method of inquiry was qualitative, historical research that relied on oral histories to provide a cultural understanding of the school from the perspectives of its students, administrators, teachers, and staff. The school’s history was reconstructed through direct engagement with individuals whose interviews recounted the establishment, growth, operation, and demise of Princess Anne County Training School/Union Kempsville High School. In order to minimize the nostalgic influence and bring greater validity to the oral histories, data were also collected from historical accounts, school board and community organization minutes, local periodicals, and school artifacts. Segregation cultivated legally separate-but-equal schools for Blacks and Whites, with little or no attention given to actual equality. In 1925, the Black community in Princess Anne County, Virginia, mobilized to build a high school for their children who were denied an education beyond seventh grade. Princess Anne County Training School opened for Black students in 1938 and initially utilized a curriculum based on industrial education. It was the first and only Black high school in Princess Anne County/Virginia Beach, Virginia. As Princess Anne County Training School progressed, the Black community eventually repudiated the term, training school. The school’s name was changed to Union Kempsville High School in the fall of 1961. Gradual desegregation inaugurated by the Brown v. Board of Education decisions led to a decline in student enrollment, and Union Kempsville High School closed in 1969. iii Dedication This study is dedicated to the memories of my mother, Dr. Ruth Jones Harris; and my husband, Mr. Calvin Cromwell Lucas. From my mother’s example, I learned to keep God close and that there is always room for improvement. From my husband’s lifestyle, I learned that it is important to work hard, but it is equally as important to have fun. iv Acknowledgements I first want to give honor to God for the blessings that enabled me to successfully complete the course work for Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, and to successfully defend my dissertation. I am especially thankful to my parents, Dr. Curtis West Harris, Sr. and the late Dr. Ruth Jones Harris, who provided a home environment that emphasized the power of knowledge and assisted me in becoming a lifelong learner. My immediate family refers to itself as the Harris Connection, and our motto is: I am because we are; and since we are, therefore, I am. I am grateful that they are, so I can be. My daughter, Crystal, and my granddaughters, Alana and Sajé are sources of joy in my life—in return, I want my accomplishments to be a source of pride in theirs. I must also applaud my close friends for their steadfastness in encouraging me to finish what I started. I have tremendous respect for Dr. Tripp and Dr. Twiford, the co-chairs of my committee, and I am so appreciative of their patience and guidance. I thank you for your continued support even after retirement. To my other committee members, Dr. Cash and Dr. Hoyle, I thank you for consenting to play the essential roles of reader, critic, and listener in reference to my dissertation. Words cannot express my gratitude for the members of the Princess Anne County Training School/Union Kempsville High School Historical Committee who allowed me to assist in their charge of writing the history of the only Black high school in Princess Anne County/Virginia Beach, Virginia. It was through this committee that I was introduced to most of the individuals who became participants in my study. To those who participated in my study, I will forever be indebted to you. I marvel at your willingness and graciousness to share your memories of Princess Anne County Training School/Union Kempsville High School with me— thank you! I want to give special recognition to Mrs. Edna Hawkins-Hendrix, a local historian and author. When we met, she had already done extensive research on the Black schools in Princess Anne County/Virginia Beach, Virginia. She unselfishly shared amazing primary and secondary sources that became critical to the development of my dissertation. Edna Hawkins-Hendrix is an extraordinary human being, and I am so grateful for her kindness. v Table of Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... ii Dedication ..................................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................... iv List of Tables .............................................................................................................................. viii Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................ 1 Context of the Study ..................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose and Significance of the Study ........................................................................................ 2 Statement of the Problem and Research Questions ..................................................................... 3 Methodology ................................................................................................................................ 4 Limitations of the Study ............................................................................................................. 10 Delimitations of the Study ......................................................................................................... 10 Definitions of Terms .................................................................................................................. 11 Organization of the Study .......................................................................................................... 12 Chapter 2: The Education of Blacks in Virginia ...................................................................... 13 Prohibition of Black Education ................................................................................................. 13 Schools for Blacks Established by the Freedmen’s Bureau, 1865-1871 ................................... 15 Virginia Mandates Universal Education, 1870 ......................................................................... 17 Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896 ........................................................................................................... 20 Period of Initiation and Awakening, 1870-1906 ....................................................................... 21 Period of Development and Accomplishment, 1906-1939 ........................................................ 23 Hampton-Tuskegee Model v. Talented Tenth ............................................................................ 26 County Training School Movement ........................................................................................... 32 Segregated Schools in Virginia ................................................................................................. 36 Quest for Equality ...................................................................................................................... 37 NAACP Legal Team in Virginia ................................................................................................ 39 Brown v. Board of Education, 1954 and 1955 .......................................................................... 40 Massive Resistance in Virginia ................................................................................................. 42 Chapter 3: The Education of Blacks in Princess Anne County/ Virginia Beach, Virginia .. 44 Black Education in Princess Anne County - Antebellum Years ................................................ 44 Black Education in Princess Anne County - Reconstruction .................................................... 46 Black Education in Princess Anne County/Virginia Beach - 20th Century ............................... 49 Chapter 4: The Oral Histories of PACTS/UKHS ..................................................................... 62 What is Oral History? ............................................................................................................... 62 Motivated Black Residents in Princess Anne County ...............................................................