USDC, Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond Division, Civil Action Case #3518- Edward Alvin Bell, et al vs. County School Board of Powhatan County, et al
| Creator | USDC, Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond Division |
| Description | On August 17, 1962, 65 African American students and their parents filed a class action suit against the School Board of Powhatan County, the Division Superintendent of Schools and the members of the Commonwealth’s Pupil Placement Board. They alleged that the District refused to process the necessary paperwork of the students, which was filled out properly and timely, for their respective transfers to the white institution. The forms were also, in many cases withheld from black students, while the ones that were obtained sat idle upon being submitted. There are two schools in the County, one comprising of an all-white student body and staff and the other, conversely, with an all-black student body and faculty. After a January 2, 1963 trial at the District Court, an injunction against the racial segregation in the admission of school students was granted. Furthermore, the Court enjoined the defendants from closing the public schools in their County as had been the case upon receiving a similar verdict earlier in the neighboring Prince Edward County. The County was to submit a desegregation plan within 90 days. As a result of the necessary time to formulate the plan, all save three of the defendants were not made able to transfer schools. Two days after the previously order was delivered; it was suspended as a result of a pending appeal filed on behalf of the defense. The plaintiffs chose to appeal this turn of events, forcing the defendants to subsequently file a counter-appeal. In the ensuing appeal process, the School Board was deemed to have been actively engaged in perpetuating segregation. The three original students, in addition to the remainder of the infant plaintiffs, were to be admitted to the white, Powhatan School. Additionally, the original decision not to award council fees to the plaintiff was reconsidered. |
| Call number | Civil Action Case #3518 |
| Date from | 1962 |
| Date to | 1973 |
| Geographic school | Powhatan County, VA |
| Size | unknown |
| Access restrictions yes/no | |
| Access restrictions | |
| Part Of larger collection yes/no | |
| Larger collection title | |
| URL | |
| Repository | NARA Mid-Atlantic Region |
| Repository address | 14700 Townsend Road, Philadelphia, PA 19154-1096 |
| Repository contact name | David Weber |
| Repository contact title | Director, Records Management Program |
| Repository contact email | philadelphia.reference@nara.gov |
| Repository contact phone | (215) 305-2000 |
| DoveRegion | (outside of Virginia) |
| Subjects | o African American students
o African Americans–Civil rights o Public schools o School children o School closings o School integration o School integration–Massive resistance movement o Segregation in education o Virgina. Pupil Placement Board o United States. Court of Appeals (4th Circuit) o Public schools–Virginia–Prince Edward County |
| Types | o Correspondence
o Legal documents o Reports |