“You know we were kind of all in denial



 “You know we were kind of all in denial. Oh they'll never shut the schools down. They can't do that. People have to go to school.”

                                                                        Robert Hamlin, Prince Edward County

“Locked Out” looks at the fall of Massive Resistance

The Community Idea Stations and Center for Politics at the University of Virginia partner for documentary

January, 2010, Richmond, VA—Marking the 50th anniversary of the reopening of public schools in Virginia and the historic 1959 fall of Massive Resistance, the Community Ideas Stations, in partnership with the University of Virginia Center for Politics, has produced a special one-hour documentary that will air [date, time, station]. “Locked Out” is the story of the tragedies and triumphs of the children of Virginia who found themselves on the front lines of a cultural war that desegregated Virginia's public schools, and forever altered American history.

Following the election of the first African American as president of the United States, it may be hard to imagine that just fifty years ago there was a concerted effort by the elected leaders of many southern states to oppose racial desegregation of public schools.  Ultimately this opposition resulted in the closing of many public schools across the state.  Following a mandate by the US Supreme Court to desegregate, Virginia’s government instead chose to lead a movement called Massive Resistance that affected the lives of school children across most of the South, and left a permanent scar on the history of the entire nation.

“Locked Out” offers first-hand accounts of the negative effects of this concerted abuse of public power and yet how it also paved the way for future progress. In 1989, thirty years after the fall of Massive Resistance, Virginia would become the first state to elect an African-American governor.  In 2008, exactly fifty years after the first Virginia school was closed, Barack Obama carried the Commonwealth in the presidential election.

Why did Virginia's government fight so hard against integration and what were the lasting effects on the children who were locked out of the public schools in Virginia?  What happened that helped Virginia and the nation overcome these times?  More importantly, what remains to be done?

“Locked Out” is the story of the fall of Massive Resistance and the desegregation of public schools told by the students who lived through it.

“Now you can look at the schools and kids don’t know what all this is about.  I mean, they just think it’s normal that you go to the closest school in your neighborhood, regardless of the color of your skin or anything.”

                                                                        Michael Jones, Arlington County

The Community Idea Stations are a family of stations that include WCVE PBS and WHTJ PBS, and are a primary provider of local productions, with weekly programs ranging from the award-winning newsmagazine “Virginia Currents” and limited series such as “Virginia Home Grown.” Several of the station’s local documentaries and specials have been accepted for national distribution by PBS or American Public Television, including “Questioning the Constitution,” “Laughing Matters With Brett Leake,” “Liberty or Death,” “Wilder: An American First” and others.

“Locked Out” is distributed nationally by American Public Television (APT). APT has been a leading distributor of high-quality, top-rated programming to America’s public television stations since 1961. In 2009, APT distributed 56 of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles. Among its 300 new program titles per year are prominent documentaries, dramatic series, how-to programs, children’s series and classic movies, including Spain...on the road Again, Rick Steves' Europe, Worldfocus, Globe Trekker, Simply Ming, America's Test Kitchen From Cook’s Illustrated, Lidia's Italy, P. Allen Smith's Garden Home, Murdoch Mysteries, Doc Martin, Rosemary and Thyme, Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, Liza’s at the Palace…. and John Denver: The Wildlife Concert. APT also licenses programs internationally through its APT Worldwide service. In 2006, APT launched Create™ – the TV channel featuring the best of public television's lifestyle programming. For more information about APT’s programs and services, visit .

Information:

Lynne McCarthy-Jones

lmccarthy-jones@

804.560.8214

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