We Have Been Waiting Too Long

Download or read book We Have Been Waiting Too Long written by Matthew Exline and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2020-07-03 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In May, 1968, the all-black Douglass High School in Leesburg, Virginia graduated its last class, and the following school year almost all formerly whites-only schools in the county had at least one black student. In the words of NAACP activist Charles Houston, ending racial segregation "did not come about by love alone." This triumphant moment was the culmination of almost forty years of struggle. In this groundbreaking study of local history with national significance, trace the journey of civil rights activists in Loudoun County, Virginia towards racial justice. Meet the colorful local characters who had the courage to stand up for what was right against the status quo, like the school teacher who pushed back against the racist assumptions of state education officials or the group of teenagers who dared to launch Leesburg's first public civil rights protest. See grassroots organizations spring up to support and empower local activists to sway the hearts and minds of their fellow citizens. The African-American residents of Loudoun County had been "waiting too long," in the words of one protest sign. This is their story.