“…And a little child shall lead them.” These words of the prophet Isaiah (11:6) are popular at this time of year referring to the birth of Jesus at Christmas. The words take on added meaning this year as part of the inscription on a new statue in the Capitol building in DC. Earlier this week, a statue of Barbara Rose Johns was unveiled before an enthusiastic crowd of family, civil rights leaders, politicians, and other dignitaries. Each state is allowed two statues to represent notable persons fron their history. Until this week, the two statues from Virginia were George Washington and Robert E. Lee. The Lee statue was removed in 2020 in the wake of national uprisings following the murder of George Floyd. The selection of Barbara Johns marks a major shift in the public narrative of Virginia’s history.
In April 1951, 16 year old Barbara Rose Johns led a student strike at Moton High School in Farmville, VA. This facility for Black students was overcrowded and seriously substandard especially compared to the town’s white high school. Eventually the purpose of the strike changed from demanding an improved facility to challenging the very concept of legal racial segregation in education. The case against the Board of Education of Prince Edward County became one of the five cases that comprised the monumental 1954 Brown v. Board of Education that declared racial segregation in public education unconstitutional. The courage, faith, and tenacity of Barbara Johns are captured in both the statue’s pose and inscriptions. She is depicted stepping forward near a lectern that symbolizes her speech that started the student strike. She holds a tattered book entitled “Virginia History” in her upraised hand symbolizing the substandard facilities and outdated educational material provided to Black students. Along with the quote from Isaiah, the statue includes a quote attributed to Barbara Johns, “Are we going to just accept these conditions? Or are we going to do something about it?”
During these challenging times when the history of our nation is being whitewashed to exclude the reality of our historic and ongoing struggle with systemic racism, the witness of Barbara Johns is especially important. Her courage and commitment to human equality were based in her Christian faith and nurtured by the Black Church. As we continue to see people detained, arrested, and brutalized by the federal government because of the color of their skin, the words of Barbara Johns from 1951 echoe down to us today, “Are we going to just accept these conditions? Or are we going to do something about it?” When we celebrate the birth of Jesus next week, may we commit ourselves to his Way of unconditional nonviolent redemptive love that honors the image of God in all people. May we also give thanks for the witness of Barbara Johns and follow her example of faith based nonviolent direct action for justice.
The video posted below features the statue unveiling and the story of Barbara Johns.