Dorothy Hamm Middle School

This suburban school, located in the Cherrydale neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia was initially known as Stratford Junior High School, named for Robert E. Lee’s birthplace. It was designed in 1949 and built in 1950. On February 2, 1959, it became the first public secondary school in the Commonwealth of Virginia to desegregate.

This momentous event marked the end of Virginia’s policy of “massive resistance” to Brown v. Board of Education, wherein they would close schools rather than integrating them. There are nearby markers highlighting several key figures who led the fight for integration. 

Dorothy M. Bigelow Hamm (for whom the school is now named) and her husband, E. Leslie Hamm, advocated for integration in schools, theaters, and other public venues.  Initially motivated by the desire to have their children attend the school nearest their home, they ultimately took action in the courts, listing their oldest son as a plaintiff against the Arlington School Board in a case that resulted in the integration of Stratford Junior High School.

Another historical marker recalls the brave actions of Barbara Johns, who led a strike of 450 fellow Farmville students to protest the “separate but equal” policies that were anything but equal for African Americans. Ignoring threats from the school board, Johns reached out to the Virginia chapter of the NAACP, who took Johns’ case all the way to the Supreme Court.

Seventh-graders Michael Jones, Gloria Thompson, Ronald Deskins, and Lance Newman were the first four African American students to enroll at Stratford Junior High School. They are honored on a historical marker that features them together, explaining the difficulties they faced and their great resolve enduring bigotry while blazing a trail for future generations. Individual markers for each of the four students are set up in a line to replicate their groundbreaking walk into the school and the pages of history.

Yet another marker continues with the “Take Action” theme, encouraging today’s students to keep walking the path of their forebears by pushing for respect, inclusion, and equality and continuing to fight for justice.