May 1, 1958, was a day of reckoning for the Virginia state government as the deadline for filing and paying state income taxes loomed large. But in the midst of the chaos, a sinister plot was brewing in Arlington, Virginia. A group of 23 influential community leaders, including County Board member Leona Buchholz, had banded together to form the Committee to Preserve Public Schools. Their mission was to keep the county’s public schools segregated by any means necessary, despite a Federal court order to integrate the schools.
The committee, led by former Arlington School Board member O. Glenn Stahl, claimed they were not motivated by a desire to perpetuate segregation or hasten integration. Instead, their primary goal was to pursue every available avenue to prevent the forced integration of the schools. This was a thinly veiled attempt to maintain the status quo and keep the schools ‘white.’
As the deadline for filing taxes approached, weary taxpayers like Mrs. Shirley Bryner, with her daughter Susan on her lap, lined up at tax offices in Virginia. Little did they know, a battle was raging in the shadows, one that would have far-reaching consequences for the people of Arlington.
The Federal court order, stayed pending an appeal, had called for the admission of seven Negro children to four white schools. But the State law, which called for the automatic closing of classrooms if racial integration was implemented, had created a ticking time bomb. The Committee to Preserve Public Schools saw this as an opportunity to exploit the situation and keep the schools segregated.
As the committee began their crusade, the people of Arlington were caught in the crossfire. The implications of their actions were far-reaching, and the consequences would be devastating for generations to come. The question on everyone’s mind was: would the committee succeed in their bid to keep the schools ‘white’, or would the Federal court order finally bring an end to segregation in Arlington?
Related Federal Cases
- Segregation Smoldering: A New Threat to Virginia’s School Freedom · Virginia
- Arlington’s School Board Slated for a Scandal: AIM’s Mysterious Candidates Unveiled · Virginia
- Merchants vs. Labor Unions: A Labor Day Showdown Looms · Virginia
- Highway Hijinks: Arlington’s Mount Vernon Boulevard Gets Access All Areas · Washington
- KIK LLC Hit with $100k Fine for Illegal Bleach Discharge · Florida
Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Public Corruption
- Era: Historical
- Source: Library of Congress — Chronicling America ↗
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