August 20, 2009
Robert Russa Moton Museum Director Lacy Ward Jr. has joined an organization that brings business leaders together to promote Virginia and improve the quality of life for state residents.
As a member of LEAD VIRGINIA, Ward is one of 45 senior level executives who will travel around the state until the class ends in November learning about the economy, healthcare and education and strength and weaknesses of Virginia’s various regions. The class runs from April until November.
Ward “will have the opportunity to network with other individuals and come up with ideas on how we can continue building the strong foundation of Virginia,” said Amanda L. Keller, LEAD VIRGINIA’S director of programs and operations
The mission of LEAD VIRGINIA is to “link diverse proven leaders to promote a statewide perspective and improve the quality of life in the Commonwealth.”
The group’s goals for every member are sharing knowledge and gaining deeper insights into complex statewide issues, generating visionary solutions to statewide challenges and networking, collaborating and exchanging resources.
Ward applied to LEAD VIRGINIA and is a member of the 2009 class. He will graduate November 20th during a ceremony at the Jefferson Hotel in downtown Richmond.
LEAD VIRGINIA is seeking participants for the class of 2010. Applications are available at www.leadvirginia.org and are due January 15th, 2010.
The mission of the Moton Museum is to preserve and positively interpret the history of Civil Rights in Education, specifically as it relates to Prince Edward County and the role its citizens played in America’s struggle to move to an integrated society. The Museum is an educational resource for the Commonwealth of Virginia, accessible to students, educators and the public at large. The economic development potential of Civil Rights tourism has been well documented by the states of the Deep South.
The Moton Museum is located in the former R. R. Moton High School at 900 Griffin Boulevard, Farmville, Virginia. Moton was the site of the April 23, 1951 student walkout in protest of inferior educational facilities led by 16-year-old sophomore Barbara Johns. The Moton strike launched Prince Edward County’s 13-year struggle for Civil Rights in Education and resulted in the filing of Davis v. Prince Edward, which called for an end to racial segregation in public education. Davis was decided, along with four other cases, in the Supreme Court decisions Brown v. Board (1954) and Brown II (1955) in which the court ruled that school boards must act “with all deliberate speed” to desegregate.