Attorney General Jay Jones hosted a program on May 15 to recognize the anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision, a Supreme Court ruling that changed American education by declaring separate schooling for white and Black students unequal.
The event took place at the Barbara Johns Building, which is named after a student who led a protest in Farmville, Virginia in 1951. Her case became part of Brown v. Board of Education and was unique as the only student-led protest included in the suit.
“This history is personal to me. As a child, my father, Judge Jerrauld Jones, helped integrate Ingleside Elementary School in Norfolk, Virginia. History arrived before he was old enough to fully understand its weight, and in the face of that responsibility he showed tremendous courage,” said Attorney General Jay Jones. “The Commonwealth was central to this moment, as young Virginians put their education, safety, and lives on the line to push our nation closer towards the promise it was always meant to fulfill. Progress is possible when people have the courage to demand better from their institutions and from one another.”
Governor Abigail Spanberger said: “Today, we celebrate the deeply American idea that one voice can make a difference. In this case, one voice became a movement, which became law, and now a legacy that endures today. That work belongs to lawyers, advocates, and public servants… Virginia is fortunate to have an Attorney General committed to ensuring the law means what it says, for every Virginian — and for advocates in the Office of the Attorney General who have dedicated their lives to fighting for civil rights.”
Solicitor General Tillman Breckenridge added: “We continue to see challenges around voting rights and access to basic human rights. These are not new debates… Progress requires protection. Equal rights on paper mean nothing without equal access to justice, education, and political participation… We can’t just remember history; we must continue to define it.”
Jones welcomed guests including community partners and officials at an event featuring performances by Greater Richmond Children’s Choir and artist Rob Gibsun.
The Attorney General of Virginia supports civil rights enforcement programs while providing legal counsel for state agencies across Virginia; it also addresses issues such as human trafficking through advocacy efforts according to the official website.
