The Virginian-Pilot
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The city plans to build a 2 -acre park near City Hall to honor those who fought to end Massive Resistance and integrate the city schools 50 years ago.
Mayor Paul Fraim announced the park plan during Tuesday's City Council meeting, during which former Mayor Joseph A. Leafe and former Vice Mayor Joseph N. Green Jr. updated the council on the city's celebration of the 50th anniversary.
The park, discussed quietly by city officials for more than a year, was originally proposed for another part of downtown. Fraim, though, insisted it be near the seat of government and the courts.
The park will be built west of City Hall and will claim a portion of the land now occupied by the Circuit Court building, which will be relocated to a new consolidated courts complex.
The park will not be completed until the courts complex is built, which will take at least four years. City Manager Regina V.K. Williams said a portion of the park will be built and dedicated much sooner. How soon isn't yet known.
Massive Resistance was the state's reaction to orders from federal courts to integrate public schools.
When federal Judge Walter E. Hoffman ordered Norfolk to integrate in 1958, Gov. Lindsay Almond ordered six schools to close.
More than 10,000 white students, who refer to themselves as the "lost class," were barred from school. Many enrolled in classes in other cities. Some never went to school again.
Councilman Don Williams, a junior at Norview High School at the time, attended night school at Oscar Smith High in the city of South Norfolk.
"I was one of the lucky ones," he said.
Massive Resistance ended when a federal appeals court and Hoffman declared it unconstitutional on the same day.
The schools reopened Feb. 2, 1959.
Seventeen black students, now referred to as the Norfolk 17, were admitted to formerly all-white schools. All endured varying degrees of discrimination, including racial slurs and some physical abuse. It was decades before the schools were truly integrated.
The city has organized a celebration of the end of Massive Resistance. Charles Hartig, a spokesman for the mayor who helped organize the celebration of the 50th anniversary, said it was not limited to the Norfolk 17 but also included the "lost class" and others who helped end Massive Resistance.
Patricia Turner, 64, one of the Norfolk 17, said she was gratified to hear about the park.
"That's amazing," she said. "It sounds like it's going to be wonderful. I just hope I'm still functioning when it opens so I can see it."
Turner was the first black student to enter the eighth grade at Norview Junior High School. Her brother, James Turner Jr., now deceased, was among three black children to integrate the seventh grade at the school.
Suzanne Shipp Owens, now of Virginia Beach, was a member of the "lost class." She graduated from Granby High in 1959 after being tutored while the schools were closed. Owens said only 177 of 487 Granby seniors returned to graduate.
"The park is a great idea," she said. "It brings together both the Norfolk 17 and the 'lost class.' And it recognizes a time in history that was so sad for our city."
Harry Minium, (757) 446-2371, harry.minium@pilotonline.com
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Why do some
seem to have such a problem dealing with the remembrance of a reality, when it reflects the negative side of the actions of some Whites, in a true light? If 1 has a problem with a commemoration of the defeat of Massive Resistance, 1 should feel similarly about monuments to those who fought to continue the society of slavery for Blacks, 2nd class citizenry of White women & the majority of poor White men. Besides, it is a positive thing which will be commemorated by the park. All sorts of persons worked to bring about the end of an atrocity in our society which was fueled by ignorance of some & hatred by some.
OK, How about some more memorial parks...
Maybe one for the Spanish Inquisition and one for the Reconstruction.
That's what we really need, reminders of every past injustice committed by people long dead against people who look like us. That way, we can excuse ourselves for our own failings by blaming those dead villains instead of looking within our selves for the solutions to our current problems.
After all, there's nothing like picking at old scabs to keep the wounds festering.
Heaven forbid that when we dedicate a public place it should honor something positive, like Free Enterprise or Reading or The Bill of Rights. After all, that might lead to people feeling good about our country, and we can't have that.
What we need is two parks
One park would honor good DNA and the other not so good DNA. I, of course, would be honored in the latter park. Just remember, THE Mayor is an elected official.
WASTED MONEY !
Well I guess the good citizens of Norfolk are going to pay for a nice comfortable place for drug dealers to sell their wares and a place for gangs to meet.Nice going Mayor !! you are a useless human being !!
For the folks that are posting
Don't you get it? The park is a smoke screen. Look at the rest of the city. If there was principal to carry forward the ideals set forth during that time then education and concern for the lower income wards of the city would be primary. This makes Fraim seem as if he cares but if he did he would be more concerned with putting priority on the fundamentals that these brave 17 stood for. I'm sure when those of you who lace your comments with sublime racial references really look at the big picture you will see it and praise the old boy. This is yet another upgrade for Downtown over the rest of the city that goes without
Local firm
Who did the park design for the city? Are they helping support local firms?
Local firm or not, it's the
Local firm or not, it's the people selecting the firms and designers that ultimately create our environments that need a reality check. But, since you ask- no, its not a local firm- its an out of state artist that has been given the responsibility for understanding and conceptualizing this park space for our City revolving around such a highly sensitive issue. Do you think they involved any of the Norfolk 17 in the selection process? NO. From what I have seen of this budding public arts commission- they have no idea what they are doing. They are apparently possessed by artists who are highly qualified to create modern "plop art" for public spaces - faceless, irrelevant and devoid of emotion. Lets look at one of the City's last memorial attempts- the MLK monument- The dark phallic symbol proudly commanding the middle of Brambleton Avenue. If you actually want to read what it says and learn something, you stand a high chance of being killed by on-coming vehicles. Was that a joke? Have you noticed most public art is stuck in the City's garages? Great showcase location. Who's brilliant idea was that? A city rich in artistic culture? Are you kidding me? And if I see another plaster
Planning Ahead for tourism
It's interesting how folks here never see how Norfolk plans ahead. Did you folks ever stop to think that this park is designed to fit into a greater downtown? A small park with a history located a few blocks from the Norfolk Cruise terminal and McArthur Mall. Perhaps it's a good idea after all. It's well known that cities like Norfolk, Baltimore, Charleston and Philly will be attracting more cruise visitors and the little amenities the cities have to offer will become very important. A park is inexpensive but attractive for visitors.
Did you miss the news? The
Did you miss the news? The Royal Caribbean's Enchantment of the Seas was spotted bolting from Norfolk and heading north to Baltimore. Big hit for the cruise terminal. Yes, lets plan ahead- but it will certainly take more than a memorial park to make the city a destination.
DO WE NEED ANOTHER PARK???
Being a black woman residing in the city of Norfolk, I agree with the members of this forum. One night in November of last year, my car was vandalized by a very young teenager. He left full hand prints on my vehicle. Norfolk, unfortunately doesn't do forensics for crimes of this nature. These kids know what they can do and get away with. This is why Norfolk has the crime rate that it does. City council should be focusing on building rec centers rather than closing them. It's not the fault of the child if their parents aren't active in their lives, but, having a safe place to hang out is better than being in the streets. More money should be spent beefing up the Norfolk Police Dept. also.