Lillian Blackwell Challenges Segregation

In 1959, Lillian Blackwell (1911-1996) joined a lawsuit that ultimately removed barriers to desegregation in Fairfax County Public Schools. In 1963, she was one of two African American women who filed a lawsuit in Federal Court challenging the rights of private theaters to segregate seating and deny admission based on race. Blackwell also led and supported integration in her community by picketing segregated businesses, helping establish the Fairfax County chapter of the National Council of Negro Women, founding with others the Black Women United for Action, and working at Horizons Day Camp, which promoted integrated learning and recreational experiences among children.

Oakton, Virginia · United States