User:Criserhigh

In 1959 the completed construction of Criser High,an all-black school in Front Royal, Virginia coincided with the integration of Warren County High School by 21 black students (see www.richmondhistorycenter.com) that drew national media attention. To prevent full-scale integration of Warren County High School Criser High School was built specifically for the remaining African-American school-age population for Warren County.

Attempts by the Virginia state government to thwart the 1954 Supreme Court Ruling of Brown versus the Board of Education (see www.brownvboard.org/summary) created the "Massive Resistence" movement (see www.vahistorical.org)spearheaded by Virginia governor Harry Byrd. It's intent was to find various ways to prevent integration of the Virginia school system. It was manifested in Front Royal by the closing of Warren County High School but this act of defiance was later overturned by the Virginia state legislature and Warren County High School was forced to reopen in 1959. In that year 21 black students integrated Warren County High School. Full-scale integration did not occur until 1966 when Criser High School closed.