More than 60 years ago, Prince Edward County, Virginia, closed its public schools for five years, rather than desegregate. As a result, more than 1,700 Black children were locked out of their classrooms for five years; many of them never learned to read. With support from the Fund, Kavitha Cardoza dug into that event – and its continued impact, generations later. In a deeply reported, long-form piece in Switchboard Magazine, Cardoza examined the educational, economic, psychological and generational implications of the school closure.
Grantee examines impact and legacy of one county’s decision to close public schools for five years rather than desegregate
