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Longwood College (University)
Longwood College, established in 1839 in Farmville, Virginia, functioned for much of its early history as a segregated institution, reflecting the broader racial divisions of the American South. Originally founded as the Farmville Female Seminary, it evolved into a state-supported college primarily serving white women. Throughout the Jim Crow era, Longwood remained racially exclusive, with its policies and campus culture aligned with the prevailing norms of segregation.
The college’s location in Prince Edward County placed it at the epicenter of one of the most extreme episodes of resistance to school desegregation in the United States. In 1959, following federal court orders to integrate, the county chose to close its entire public school system rather than comply. This decision left Black students without formal education for five years, while white students attended newly established private segregation academies. During this period, Longwood College continued its operations without publicly opposing the closures or advocating for the affected Black students, reflecting the institution’s alignment with the state’s Massive Resistance policies.
It wasn’t until the civil rights advancements of the 1960s that Longwood began to confront its segregated past. The college admitted its first Black student in 1966, marking the beginning of a slow process toward integration. In recent years, Longwood has taken steps to acknowledge and address its historical role during this tumultuous period. Notably, the college has partnered with the Robert Russa Moton Museum—housed in the former Moton High School, the site of the 1951 student-led protest against educational inequality—to promote education and dialogue about civil rights and the legacy of segregation in Prince Edward County.