The Norfolk 17 Wood Print

This image is part of a tribute to the Norfolk 17, a group of brave young African-American students who integrated six all white schools in Norfolk, VA in 1959. They were the victims of intense racial animosity and hatred as the result schools being closed to avoid integration that had been ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954. The state of Virginia was using a strategy of "Massive Resistance" to the Supreme Court Decision to keep them out of white schools, businesses and other public establishments. The image is inside a showcase in the First Baptist Church of Norfolk, VA. where they studied and learned how to survive in a hostile environment.

Personal background: I was born in Jackson, Michigan and raised in Minneapolis, MN. After attending 11 different schools between kindergarten and the 11th grade I decided to join the U.S. Army where I served for seven years, specializing in radar and computer repair.. I have since earned Masters and Doctoral degrees from Rutgers University, served 36 years in higher education and retired five years ago as Executive Vice President of Forsyth Technical Community College in North Carolina. My wife Anna & I have two children and 5 grandchildren. In addition to photography, I am an ordained minister, part time church musician and enjoy swimming, reading and tinkering with electronic gadgets. Photography background: I have been...