On July 21, Virginians from across the commonwealth will converge on the grounds of our state Capitol to celebrate a momentous juncture in our shared history -- the unveiling of the Virginia's Civil Rights Memorial.

The memorial honors the patriotism of Bar bara Johns who, on April 23, 1951, led her class at Robert Russa Moton High School in Prince Edward to the steps of the county courthouse to expose the unequal and inferior conditions that she and African-American students in Virginia and across the nation endured to obtain an education. The student protests garnered support from the local community, benefiting from the moral leadership of the Rev. L. Francis Griffin. Following the walkout, two prominent civil rights attorneys, Oliver W. Hill Sr., and Spottswood Robinson III, filed Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County on the students' behalf in a call to end not just inferior and unequal facilities for schoolchildren but also to call for an integrated school system.

The injustice felt by Johns and her fellow classmates reverberated throughout the country, eventually making its way to the steps of the United States Supreme Court. In the landmark decision of Brown v. Board of Education, with Davis joined, the Court unanimously declared "that in the field of public education the doctrine of 'separate but equal' has no place," and that education "is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms."

As a result of the Prince Edward walk-out and a long-running legal struggle, a generation of African-American children in Prince Edward lost years of their formal education in order that future generations could have what they, themselves, could not -- an education free and open to all regardless of race.

In 1951, the state government strongly opposed the students' demands for equality and educational excellence for all. Their demands were denied strenuously by government officials. Through "Massive Resistance," county school closings, and other measures that were designed to sustain segregation in the commonwealth, Virginia resisted the mandates of Brown.

The concerns of Virginians, however, did not fall on deaf ears for long. After the 1969 election of Gov. A. Linwood Holton, the office of the commonwealth's chief executive became adamant in embracing the Moton students' vision of a new Virginia -- one in which race would no longer be a factor in determining the opportunities available to the citizens of the commonwealth.

As we converge on the grounds of Capitol Square to celebrate and honor those Virginians who were instrumental in creating a more equal and more perfect commonwealth, we still have an awesome task before us today. Together, we must learn from the past and utilize the lessons of history in a manner that will profoundly impact the Virginia of tomorrow.

We must, as citizens of this great commonwealth, acknowledge the impact that a group of young Prince Edward students had on education in Virginia and the nation at-large during a period in American history when official state policy mandated that their voices were to be silent. The Civil Rights Memorial, celebrating Johns' courageous efforts more than half-a-century ago, is a fitting reminder of her place in Virginia's history as one of those who stood up for a cause and whose influence is felt to this day. It will remind all Virginians that all persons, regardless of age, possess the ability to influence and improve upon the society in which we all live. I firmly believe there is no more important accomplishment in our commonwealth's history.

I encourage all Virginians and visitors to the commonwealth to come to Richmond on July 20-21 to celebrate and honor the courage of the students and leaders of the civil rights movement who helped to create a more just and equitable society for Virginia. Please visit www.vacivilrightsmemorial.org for additional details.
Viola O. Baskerville is Virginia's secretary of administration and a member of Gov. Tim Kaine's Cabinet. Contact her at (804) 786-1201.