New York City, NY (March 6, 1935 – September 28, 1991) age 56 yrs

Barbara Rose Johns Powell moved to Prince Edward County from New York as a child. At 16, she organized a student walkout at Robert Russa Moton High School, the county’s high school for African Americans. The protest was against overcrowded conditions and substandard facilities. Rather than build a new facility for the increased student body, the school board chose an alternative. They constructed plywood and tar paper structures. These lacked heating and plumbing. Johnson led the walkout on April 23, 1951, demanding the construction of new school. In 2020, Johns was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. A monument at Richmond’s Capital Square honors Barbara Johns Powell. It also commemorates the students of Moton High School for leading the fight for civil rights.