Virginia believed in all kids learning, starting with their alphabets, writing their name, and learning to read and write.
Virginia worked five decades as an educator, teaching children.
Among her favorite stories were the many parents who sought her out to make sure their child was placed in her classroom. While she did not select the children that will ultimately be placed in her classroom, she thought fondly of all the parents recognizing her for doing a good teaching their children.
Virginia believed that all people should be treated equally. She joined the civil rights marches of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Mule Train: Poor People’s Campaign.
Virginia attended church rallies held in Marks, Mississippi; she went throughout her local community talking with people about standing up for their rights.
Virginia had experiences where there was no in-door bathrooms; where you sometimes had to carry water to your home; and there was one heater for the entire house.
Virginia worked hard and fought to improve the living conditions for her family. She liked telling the story about her and Robert having their house built “from the ground up”.
You see Virginia had been living in a one room house with her husband and five kids at the time. She wanted something better. She wanted a house with enough room for all her kids; and a large yard where all the kids could play.
Along came the FHA program that was helping people to buy a house. Virginia went downtown Marks, to the FHA office and talked with them about how she could own a house. While it took filling out lots of papers and lots of visits to the FHA office, Virginia and Robert was approved to have their house built. They were first to have a house built in that section of Marks.
