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On September 8, Del. Katrina Callsen presented Charles Alexander, one of the Charlottesville Twelve that integrated city schools, with a resolution from the Virginia General Assembly. The ceremony was held at the Albemarle County Office Building on the 66th anniversary of the integration of Charlottesville’s public schools.
Alexander was one of nine students who integrated Trailblazer, formerly Venable, Elementary School on September 8, 1959. Lane High School, now the site of the Albemarle County Office Building, was integrated the same day by three students.
“The historic integration of Venable Elementary School and Lane High School by the Charlottesville Twelve marked a pivotal moment in the local civil rights movement and paved the way for broader desegregation across the Commonwealth,” reads a portion of the resolution, which was adopted by the state legislature in February. “The enduring legacy of the Charlottesville Twelve serves as a testament to the transformative power of courage and unity in the face of injustice, and their example continues to inform and enrich the ongoing struggle for civil rights.”
