May 17, 1954 The Supreme Court hands down decision in Brown v Board of Education, declaring segregation in public education to be unconstitutional
June [25?]26, 1954 Senator Harry Byrd announces he will use all legal means to keep segregation in schools. Virginia Governor Stanley pledges opposition
July 11, 1954 White Citizens’ Council organized by Robert Patterson in Indianola, Mississippi
October 1954 Defenders of State Sovereignty organized
1955 Virginia Council for Human Relations founded
April 1955 Third round of arguments on Brown heard. This time the arguments focus on remedy
May 31, 1955 In Brown II, the Supreme Court declares that school desegregation should occur “with all deliberate speed” and that federal district courts would supervise desegregation
June 1955 Prince Edward School Foundation organized to develop private school education program
August 1955 Emmitt Till murdered in Mississippi
November 11, 1955 Gray Commission issues its plan
November 30, 1955 Governor Stanley calls a special session of the General Assembly to call for a constitutional convention to amend Section 141 of the Constitution
December 1955 Senator Byrd calls the desegregation question “the most serious crisis that has occurred since the War Between the States”
December 1955 Rosa Parks arrested in Montgomery, Alabama; Montgomery bus boycott
November 1956
January 9, 1956 Virginia voters approve the calling of a constitutional convention by a vote of 304,154 to 146,164
Jan-Feb 1956 The Virginia General Assembly passes an interposition resolution
[check date]
February 21, 1956 Delegates to a constitutional convention elected
February 1956 Senator Byrd calls for “massive resistance”
March 7, 1956 Constitutional Convention held and amended Section 141 to allow for public funds to be able to be used to pay for tuition to private schools
March 12, 1956 19 U.S. Senators and 81 representatives issue the Southern Manifesto in opposition to Supreme Court decision
May 3, 1956 PE Board of Supervisors announces it will not appropriate money for desegregated schools
August 1956 In a special session, Virginia General Assembly passes massive resistance laws and laws targeting the NAACP
January 1957 The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) founded; Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. is president
September 1957 Congress passes a Civil Rights Act that provides only limited federal protection of black voting
President Eisenhower sends troops to suppress mob violence in Little Rock, Arkansas
November 1957 Former Virginia Attorney General J. Lindsay Almond elected governor of Virginia
September 1958 Governor Almond closes schools in Warren County, and in the cities of Charlottesville and Norfolk
January 1959 Federal and state courts strike down Virginia’s state massive resistance laws
February 1959 Public schools reopen on a desegregated basis in Norfolk; Arlington and Alexandria desegregate their schools
September 1959 Public schools reopen on a desegregated basis in Charlottesville
February 1960 Virginia General Assembly passes legislation that provides tuition grants for segregated private academies and enacts “freedom of choice” plans[check on this]