Today, the Commonwealth of Virginia officially recognizes the 75th Anniversary of the 1951 Moton High School Walkout. Through a proclamation issued by Governor Abigail Spanberger, April 23, 2026, honors Barbara Rose Johns and the students of Robert Russa Moton High School, whose actions helped shape the path to Brown v. Board of Education.
We are honored to receive this recognition from the Commonwealth of Virginia and grateful to Governor Spanberger for acknowledging this legacy.
Seventy-five years later, that legacy remains rooted here in Farmville, Virginia—at the original site where students took a stand and changed the course of public education in America.
This moment belongs to the students, the families, and this community—past and present. At the Robert Russa Moton Museum, we are proud to preserve this history and ensure it is honored with the care and context it deserves.
As a National Historic Landmark and a site on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail, the Robert Russa Moton Museum remains committed to connecting this history to the present through scholarship, learning, reflection, and community engagement.
We invite you to stand where history unfolded and experience this history firsthand.
Read the full proclamation:
https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/proclamations/proclamation-list/75th-anniversary-of-the-1951-moton-high-school-walkout-day.html
Plan your visit:
https://motonmuseum.org
Learn more about Barbara Rose Johns:
https://thebarbarajohnsstory.org/