George W. Watkins Elementary School
| George W. Watkins Elementary School | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Address | |
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6501 New Kent Highway Quinton, Virginia 23141 United States |
|
| Coordinates | 37°31′45″N 77°05′54″W / 37.5293°N 77.0983°WCoordinates: 37°31′45″N 77°05′54″W / 37.5293°N 77.0983°W |
| Information | |
| School type | Public elementary school |
| School district | New Kent County School Division |
| Superintendent | J. Roy Geiger |
| Principal | Russ Macomber |
| Grades | K–5 |
| Language | English |
| Website | Official Site |
|
New Kent School; George W. Watkins School
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|
| Area | 10 acres |
| Built | 1950; 1960 |
| NRHP Reference # | 01001046 |
| VLR # | 063-5011 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | August 7, 2001 |
| Designated NHL | August 7, 2001 |
| Designated VLR | June 13, 2001 |
George W. Watkins Elementary School is an elementary school located in Quinton, Virginia, and is one of two such schools in New Kent County. As a formerly African American-only high school, it, along with the nearby New Kent High School is a National Historic Landmark and is associated with the Supreme Court case Green v. County School Board of New Kent County. Like the other public schools in New Kent, Watkins is located on Route 249 (New Kent Highway), though it is about seven miles west of the others.
Before desegregation, George Watkins was the county's African American-only high school, while New Kent High School in nearby New Kent was the high school for whites. The name for the former was in honor of Dr. George W. Watkins, who served as the pastor of the Second Liberty Baptist Church from 1928 to 1971. During this time, he encouraged church members to take leadership roles in the community, such as on the local school board, planning commission, board of supervisors, and other civic and religious organizations. The most notable of those who followed this advice was Dr. Calvin C. Green, who led the push for desegregation in Green v. County School Board.
In 1954, the Brown v. Board of Education decision overturned the "separate but equal" doctrine, but it was not specific on remedies that educational systems had to take to remove discrimination. The 1955 "Brown II" ruling on relief called only for desegregation at "all deliberate speed", which many interpreted to allow active resistance. Many school systems made changes which allowed them to avoid the most blatant appearance of discrimination, but which achieved only token amounts of integration. Notably, the 1955 Briggs appeals court decision was one that held that the constitution "'does not require integration. It merely forbids discrimination.'", and this was used to avoid taking active steps towards integration.
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