Robert Russa Moton Museum

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Robert Russa Moton Museum The student birthplace of America's Civil Rights Revolution. A National Historic Landmark. Farmville, Virginia's former R.R. schools.

Moton High School, now a National Historic Landmark, is a civil rights training ground, rooted in Prince Edward County's 1951-1964, Constitution-inspired fight for student freedom. Dreamed by 16-year-old Barbara Johns, the 1951 Moton Student Strike produced three-fourths of the plaintiffs in 'Brown v. Board of Education' (1954), the landmark Supreme Court decision desegregating U.S. From 1959 to 1964 Prince Edward County closed their public schools to avoid integration. The Supreme Court in 'Griffin v. Prince Edward' (1964) ordered schools to reopen, declaring "the time for mere 'deliberate speed' has run out." "If..you are looking for the handful of places where this nation's civil rights revolution began, check out the old Moton High School in Farmville, Va." -- The Toledo Blade

This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

📢 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗣𝗔𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗦 | 𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗘𝗫𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗗!The Robert Russa Moton Museum is pleased to share an opportunity for historians, s...
10/14/2026

📢 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗣𝗔𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗦 | 𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗘𝗫𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗗!

The Robert Russa Moton Museum is pleased to share an opportunity for historians, scholars, museum professionals, educators, and local history practitioners.

The 21st Virginia Forum will take place March 11–13, 2027, at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. This year's theme, "Departures and Destinations," invites exploration of the people, communities, movements, and ideas that have shaped Virginia and West Virginia's history.

Proposals are welcome from across all periods of Virginia history, including topics related to civil rights, education, activism, resistance, memory, and heritage. Submissions are not limited to the conference theme.

The deadline for proposals has been extended to Friday, October 30, 2026.

Individual papers, panels, roundtables, workshops, and digital projects are welcome.

📩 Submit proposals to: [email protected]

Questions? Contact Phil Hamilton, 2027 Program Committee Chair, at [email protected].

We encourage members of the Moton community and our colleagues in history, education, and public humanities to consider participating and to share this opportunity with others.

𝗠𝗢𝗧𝗢𝗡 𝗪𝗘𝗟𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗘𝗨𝗠 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗢𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗢 𝗙𝗔𝗥𝗠𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘Big conversations about the future of museums are coming to our ...
10/13/2026

𝗠𝗢𝗧𝗢𝗡 𝗪𝗘𝗟𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗘𝗨𝗠 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗢𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗢 𝗙𝗔𝗥𝗠𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘

Big conversations about the future of museums are coming to our small town!

October 24–26, the Robert Russa Moton Museum and Longwood University will help welcome representatives from 30 organizations across the Mid-Atlantic region to Farmville, Virginia, for the Museum Store Association's Mid-Atlantic Chapter Fall Meeting.

We're especially proud that Moton's own Sherre Oke, Assistant Director for Visitor Engagement and Operations, serves as President of the MSA Mid-Atlantic Chapter and is helping bring this regional gathering to our community.

Under the theme Seizing the Moment: Designing Museum Experiences that Ignite the Next Generation, museum professionals will come together for professional development, collaboration, and conversations about museum retail, visitor engagement, and inspiring future generations.

Here at Moton, participants will have an opportunity to experience our history firsthand and explore how the stories museums preserve can inspire meaningful products and experiences for younger audiences.

And while the professional connections will be valuable, we're just as excited about what our visitors will discover beyond the meeting rooms!

From our rich history and cultural landmarks to our locally owned businesses and welcoming community, Farmville has a story worth sharing. This gathering is an opportunity to introduce museum professionals from across the region to the people, places, and experiences that make our town special.

To our visiting museum colleagues, welcome to Farmville! We're delighted to have you here and look forward to sharing a little of what makes this community so special.

And to our Farmville neighbors, we hope you'll join us in extending a warm welcome to our guests!

Learn more about the gathering:
https://members.museumstoreassociation.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=2054463&group=

𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻𝘀?At just 16 years old, Barbara stood before her classmates at Robert Rus...
10/11/2026

𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻𝘀?

At just 16 years old, Barbara stood before her classmates at Robert Russa Moton High School in Farmville, Virginia, and challenged them to take a stand against the unequal conditions of their segregated school.

“Are we going to just accept these conditions? Or are we going to do something about it?” — Barbara Johns

That moment on April 23, 1951, sparked a student-led strike and a legal challenge that became part of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision.

Seventy-four years later, on December 16, 2025, Barbara's statue was unveiled in the United States Capitol. Today, she stands among the figures chosen to represent our nation's history, one of just two representing the Commonwealth of Virginia.

From the auditorium at Moton to the halls of the U.S. Capitol, Barbara's story reminds us that age does not determine one's ability to lead, inspire or change history.

On this International Day of the Girl, we honor Barbara Rose Johns and the generations of girls who continue to find their voices, challenge injustice and lead with courage.

🔗Explore Barbara's story and the historic statue unveiling at https://motonmuseum.org/about/barbara-rose-johns-in-statuary-hall-a-historic-milestone/

Interested in volunteering at Moton? We are looking for motivated individuals to serve as bookstore volunteers and docen...
10/08/2026

Interested in volunteering at Moton? We are looking for motivated individuals to serve as bookstore volunteers and docents.

For more information, call us at 434-315-8775 or email [email protected].

10/07/2026

Fellow citizens from every background, affiliation and party are united in a single belief: stronger schools through smarter funding is the easiest decision on the ballot this November.

Cainan Townsend, Executive Director of the Moton Museum, PECPS alumnus and parent and School Board Chair, says this: "Prince Edward County Public Schools have been a part of my life for generations. As a parent of current students, School Board member, multigenerational alumnus, adjunct instructor, and community member, I have seen firsthand how strong schools strengthen our entire community. I support the 1% sales tax initiative because it creates a broader, fairer way to fund needed school improvements without relying exclusively on property tax increases. It also exempts groceries, protecting families from added costs on everyday necessities. Supporting this initiative means investing in our children, preserving the quality of our schools, and sharing that investment across everyone who benefits from our local economy."

Read what other leaders and residents are saying 👉 oneforprinceedward.com/intheirwords

🎉 Happy Birthday, Latisha “Nicky” Toney! 🎉Today, we’re celebrating someone whose care for Moton and the people around he...
10/07/2026

🎉 Happy Birthday, Latisha “Nicky” Toney! 🎉

Today, we’re celebrating someone whose care for Moton and the people around her is felt in so many ways.

Nicky serves as a Moton Museum docent, but she is also one of those special people who is always willing to show up, lend a hand, and support wherever she is needed. Her warmth, generosity, and genuine care for our visitors, our team, and our community make her an important part of the Moton family.

Nicky, we’re grateful for all that you do and especially grateful to have you as part of Team Moton.

Please join us in wishing Nicky a very Happy Birthday and a wonderful year ahead! 🎂✨

𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘’𝗦 𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗝𝗢𝗜𝗡 𝗨𝗦!Educators, spend an hour with the Moton Education Team next Monday for a free virtual expe...
10/06/2026

𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘’𝗦 𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗝𝗢𝗜𝗡 𝗨𝗦!

Educators, spend an hour with the Moton Education Team next Monday for a free virtual experience exploring how Moton’s history, primary resources and programming can support teaching and learning in your classroom.

Come with your questions. Come with your classroom needs. We’ll make time for both.

📅 Monday, October 12
🕙 10:00 a.m.
💻 Virtual | One hour
🎓 Free for educators

Space is limited. Secure your spot today:
https://forms.gle/NcuiVSTgqeYY7Nrd6⁠

On this beautiful, crisp October morning, neighbors and friends gathered at the Robert Russa Moton Museum for the Moton ...
10/06/2026

On this beautiful, crisp October morning, neighbors and friends gathered at the Robert Russa Moton Museum for the Moton Community Prayer Breakfast. Guests shared breakfast, conversation and prayer in Moton’s historic auditorium.

Today’s breakfast was sponsored by Centra Southside Community Hospital and catered by Grateful Fed Catering.

Moton extends its thanks to the Community Prayer Breakfast Planning Committee and to the prayer leaders who helped make the morning meaningful.

Those interested in serving as a prayer leader at a future breakfast may contact [email protected].

SAVE THE DATE: Join us again on Tuesday, November 3, from 7:30–8:30 a.m. for our final Moton Community Prayer Breakfast of 2026. We’ll return in 2027.

Address

900 Griffin Boulevard
Farmville, VA
23901

Opening Hours

Monday 12pm - 4pm
Tuesday 12pm - 4pm
Wednesday 12pm - 4pm
Thursday 12pm - 4pm
Friday 12pm - 4pm
Saturday 12pm - 4pm

Telephone

(434) 315-8775

Website

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