On Thursday, December 15, 2011, the Robert Russa Moton Museum honored Sheriff Harris on the occasion of his retirement.
In recognition of the impact the Prince Edward County school closings had upon Sheriff Harris’ life, Moton Director Lacy Ward, Jr. presented a resolution which read in part:
Sheriff Harris along with more than 4,000 others of his generation – some receiving no formal schooling, some receiving a private education, some leaving home for an education – suffered the prolonged loss of locally supported public schools.
Also honoring Sheriff Harris at the community event were representative of Prince Edward County, the Town of Farmville, the Prince Edward County Branch of the NAACP, the Prince Edward Elks Lodge #269, Randolph Lodge #30, F & AM, the Royal Supremes Gospel Singers, the Piedmont Regional Jail, and the Farmville Police Department.
The evening concluded with remarks and a solo from the honoree. “The highlight of the ceremony was Harris’ rendition of ‘I Won’t Complain.’ The moment spoke to his unique ability to bring the community together.”
The Robert Russa Moton Museum is a Civil Rights Museum housed in the former R. R. Moton High School. Moton is committed to the preservation and positive interpretation of the history of civil rights in education, specifically as it relates to Prince Edward County and the role its citizens played in America’s struggle to move from a segregated to an integrated society.
God Bless You All and this is root of my generation and those after me that we have no excuse and should always seek a way to help the future generation.