This week, the Curry School had the great honor of hosting four warriors for equal rights in education: Howard “Hank” W. Allen, Ed.D. is a retired associate professor at the Curry School and former director of the Consultative Resource Center for School Desegregation at the Curry School; Rosa Atkins, Ed.D. is the superintendent for the Charlottesville City School Division; James H. Bash, Ed.D. is professor emeritus of the Curry School and founding faculty member of the Consultative Resource Center for School Desegregation; Rebecca S. Branch is a retired school principal whose career in public education spanned from 1951-1983.
As part of the University of Virginia’s week-long celebration to honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the panelists each shared about their roles and experiences during the desegregation of Virginia’s Schools.
Mrs. Branch was one of the very few African-American principals to not be demoted during the implementation of desegregation policies. As she recalled her experiences as an African American principal in a desegregated elementary school, Mrs. Branch spoke of the tenderness the vast majority of her teachers had toward their students. She did recall it taking some time for the also segregated teaching faculty to begin fully working together. But she always saw in her teachers their immense love for their students.
After listening to Mrs. Branch, Dr. Atkins shared a personal reflection from her own childhood as a student during desegregation.
Dr. Atkins reached out for Mrs. Branch’s hand and said, “The tenderness in her voice reminded me of the tenderness I heard amongst the teachers in schools before they were integrated and after—there was still that tenderness. There is a strength about her that was so prevalent in the black community.
“As a child growing up during that time, I remember our black females always being dressed and regardless of the hardships we all faced during that time, I remember the way they carried themselves.
“They served as a model for me. And listening to her, I know that is where I developed my love and passion for education.”
Part of night was also set aside to honor the work of Drs. Allen and Bash and the Consultative Resource Center for School Desegregation at the Curry School, also known as the Curry Desegregation Center (CDC). The Curry School created the CDC with one of 27 federal grants creating national education centers to support public school districts by training teachers and administrators in schools being desegregated. Created in 1967, the CDC operated with a small staff that serviced school systems in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia and Washington, D.C.
After creating a solid curriculum, the staff conducted institutes, meetings, facilitated school and community groups, and when possible, talked with local media to spread the word of desegregation and the work of the center across the region.
Dr. Bash was not only a founding faculty member of the center, but served as its director from 1967 to 1971. While there, he was responsible for creating a nationally recognized teaching model for cross-racial understanding. During the event, Dr. Bash reflected on the tremendously valuable work that was done by the center. He also urged those in attendance to continue the fight to be sure high-quality education is available for all children.
Dr. Allen began his career as a teacher and coach at John W. Langston High School in Danville, VA before being recruited to the Curry School to work on staff of the CDC. He served as the center director from 1973 until grant funding ran out and the center closed in 1982. As Dr. Allen reflected on his experiences during desegregation, he share that he learned more about the human spirit during that time than any other time in his life. He was inspired by the people with whom he worked at the center, even when they encountered resistance during their training sessions.
A fifth person was honored at the evening’s events, in memoriam. Nathan Johnson was the first African American faculty member hired at the University of Virginia and served as the associate director of the CDC for six years. Following a distinguished career as a public school teacher and administrator, Johnson joined Curry after completing his doctoral studies at the University of Virginia under a Southern Education Foundation Fellowship. Members of Johnson’s family were in attendance.
The evening ended with the unveiling of a plaque commemorating the work of the Consultative Resource Center for School Desegregation at the Curry School. The plaque will hang in Bavaro Hall.
