Prince Edward County, Virginia, holds significant historical importance in Black history, especially due to its role in the fight for civil rights and education equality. In 1951, a group of Black students in Prince Edward County led by 16-year-old Barbara Johns staged a strike to protest the deplorable conditions of their segregated school, Robert Russa Moton High School.

This strike eventually led to the landmark civil rights case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, in which the Supreme Court ruled that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. Despite this ruling, Prince Edward County officials refused to integrate their schools and instead chose to shut down the entire public school system from 1959 to 1964 in what became known as the "Massive Resistance" movement.

During this time, many Black students were left without access to education, and they were forced to attend makeshift, privately funded schools known as "Freedom Schools." It wasn't until the Supreme Court ruled in Griffin v. County School Board of Prince Edward County in 1964 that Prince Edward County was required to reopen its public schools and integrate them fully.

The actions taken by the students in Prince Edward County and the subsequent legal battles played a significant role in the civil rights movement and helped pave the way for desegregation in schools across the country. Today, Prince Edward County stands as a symbolic reminder of the struggles and victories of the civil rights era.