1929 – Birth of Civil Rights Leader: Barbara Johns

On May 16, 1929, Barbara Rose Johns was born in New York City. At just 16, she organized a student strike in 1951 at R.R. Moton High School in Farmville, Virginia, protesting substandard school conditions for Black students. Her courage caught the attention of the NAACP, leading to the case Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, which became one of five cases consolidated into Brown v. Board of Education (1954). Though often overshadowed, Johns’ leadership catalyzed a legal battle that dismantled school segregation in America. Her boldness at such a young age symbolized the critical role that youth played in the Civil Rights Movement. Today, she is recognized as a foundational figure in education equality, and her story continues to inspire movements for justice in education across the nation.