Governor James Lindsay Almond Jr.
Served as Virginia's governor from 1958 through 1962, during the height of massive resistance in Virginia. To oppose desegregation, Governor Almond closed schools in Norfolk, Warren County, and Prince Edward County.

Senator Harry F. Byrd, Sr.
One of the most powerful political figures of 20th century Virginia, Byrd first served as Governor before being elected to the United States Senate in 1933. He served in that capacity until 1965. In the late 1950s he helped develop several different legislative plans to keep Virginia's public schools segregated.

Virginius Dabney
The Richmond Times-Dispatch editor who felt that African-Americans deserved equal opportunities except in the case of integrated schools.

Governor Mills E. Godwin, Jr.
Served as Virginia's governor from 1966-1970 and again in 1974-1978. Governor Godwin viewed desegregation as a "cancer" on public schools. He also stated that the federal government was moving too fast to integrate schools that had historically been segregated.

Oliver Hill
Richmond lawyer who served as the Chairman of the Virginia NAACP legal staff. He and Spottswood Robinson filed the lawsuit Davis v. The County School Board of Prince Edward County that became one of the five cases made up Brown v. Board of Education.

Governor Linwood Holton
Served as Virginia's governor from 1970-1974 and was the first Republican governor in Virginia since Reconstruction. He opposed massive resistance and set an example for Virginia by taking his children to the schools assigned to them through the massive busing order.

James Jackson Kilpatrick, Jr.
Served as the Richmond News-Leader's editor from 1951 to 1967 and was an avid supporter of massive resistance.

Henry L. Marsh, III
Richmond lawyer involved in ridding Richmond of dual attendance zones, the feeder system and the Pupil Placement Board. He also fought for faculty integration. He would later serve as Richmond's first African American mayor and as a state senator.

Judge Robert R. Merhige, Jr.
Virginia district court judge who handed down decision involving the desegregation of the Richmond Public School system.

Spottswood Robinson
Richmond lawyer who worked for the NAACP. Robinson and Oliver Hill filed the lawsuit Davis v. The County School Board of Prince Edward County that became one of the five cases that made up Brown v. Board of Education.

Governor Thomas B. Stanley
Served as Virginia's governor from 1954-1958. He opposed desegregation and during his tenure, he enacted legislation celled the Stanley Plan that was intended to keep Virginia's schools segregated.

Samuel W. Tucker
In conjunction with his law partner Oliver Hill, Tucker brought a suit against the City of Richmond to equalize black teachers salaries. He and Henry Marsh went to court to desegregate the school faculty, special programs for disabled and gifted students, adult programs, etc. This suit occurred when the City of Richmond agreed to integration plan called "Freedom of Choice."