Voices of Integration:
Black Students from the Class of 1969
In 2022, Black students from the Class of 1969 gathered to share their experiences of school integration in Williamsburg, Virginia. The Class of 1969 was the first fully integrated class to graduate from the Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools.
These classmates held meetings and reunions over many years that not only solidified their lifelong friendships but also became an organizing platform to have their stories told. This exhibit is the result of their efforts and their partnership with The Village Initiative and collaborators at William & Mary.
Source: Class of 1969 Oral History. March 12, 2022. The Village Initiative Oral History Collection.
The exhibit brings together oral histories from Black students in the Class of 1969 with a range of other primary sources to provide a robust view of the experience of school integration. These include additional oral histories from teachers, students, and parents collected between the 1990s and the 2020s and archival documents, including city council and school board records and articles from three newspapers during the period of integration and beyond. The exhibit also offers a comparative perspective through the memories of one student who integrated York High School in York County in the years before mandatory integration.
Listen to Their Stories
Meet the Narrators from The Class of 1969
Mary (Bartlett) Ashlock
Cynthia Druitt
Rev. Dr. Ronald Ellis
Dale (Marsh) Jackson
Mary Lassiter
Floyd Morning
Maria (Tabb) Norman
Willis Potter
Peggy (Clemons) Randall
Troy D. Roots
Joel Smith
Annette (Bonds)
Washington
Washington
Other Narrators & ContributorsÂ
Caleb Brown
Principal, Berkeley Middle School
James Brown
Class of 1969
York High School
Dr. Camilla Buchanan
Teacher
Phyllis Crudup
Teacher
Katherine Curtis
Parent
Dennis Gardner
Parent
Madeline Gee
Teacher
Brady Graham
Teacher
Lafayette Jones, Jr.
Class of 1961
Dianne Lee
Class of 1968
Rev. Junius H. Moody
Teacher
Ruth Pope
Teacher
This project was directed by Jacqueline Bridgeforth Williams, founder and director of The Village Initiative, and curated by collaborators at William & Mary, including research and curation by Professors Amy Quark, Monika Gosin, and Omiyemi Green, technology support by undergraduate Noah Dalbey, archival research by undergraduate Abby Boyce, web design by undergraduate Lanni Brown, and video editing by undergraduate Ryan Harp. Students from two sections of the W&M class, "Walk Together, Children" also contributed to the analysis.
Photos featured in the banner images and videos in this exhibit derive from the photography collections of Troy D. Roots and Crystal (Epps) Fuller; The Tarantula, Berkeley High School Yearbook, 1966-67 and 1967-68, courtesy of Troy D. Roots; The Beehive, James Blair High School Yearbooks, 1965-69, accessible at the William & Mary Special Collections Research Center; and the Albert Durant Photography Collection, courtesy of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. We thank additional community members who also contributed photos from personal yearbooks. Photos are used for educational purposes under Fair Use guidelines.
Banner image: Collage of photos and news headlines created by Lanni Brown
Sources: The Beehive, 1968-69, William & Mary Special Collections Research Center; The Tarantula, Berkeley High School Yearbook, 1967-68, courtesy of Troy D. Roots; The Richmond Times-Dispatch; The Virginia Gazette.