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black students who attended Rappahannock County HS were also subjected to a “living nightmare” of harassment, insults, and indifference.
Not surprisingly, black folks choose to recall most fondly those few positive aspects of their school experiences from the horrendous century that preceded the Civil Rights era.
Former students say that commencement exercises for the black schools are remembered as one of the highlights of each year. These exercises were an all-day affair, with displays of achievements, lunch, followed by the principal speaker, and finally by a baseball game. Also mentioned in numerous accounts are the dedication, skill, and character of the teachers who cared for those students: Anna Green, Grace Williams, Warren and James Russell, and a host of other quiet heroes. Beyond this, much of black happiness in those times was private or churchrelated.
Looking at all this from a distance of 50 years, one question still begs an answer: “Why?”
Aside from the anger, shame, and mixture of other emotions from all sides, as we look at our common history, there is a nagging realization of opportunities lost. Just one example: It appears that some years ago there was a peculiar Rappahannock night spot called the Flatwoods Inn located roughly opposite the current Farmer’s Co-op. In a really bizarre commentary on its times, the Flatwoods may have had separate, (but equal?) sides, one for whites and one for blacks. It is said that on at least one occasion the black side of the establishment was frequented by a
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