Ohio Humanities’ documentary film The Lincoln School Story airs on WOSU TV in Columbus!

The Lincoln School Story examines the little-known fight for school desegregation led by a handful of Ohio mothers and their children in 1954. In the wake of Brown v. Board of Education, school districts nationwide were mandated to integrate. But when African American mothers in Hillsboro, Ohio, tried to enroll their children in the local, historically white schools, the school board refused to comply. Five mothers and their children took the school board to court. With Constance Baker Motley as the lead lawyer and help from a fledgling NAACP chapter, they started one of the nation’s first civil rights marches to end school segregation. While the lawsuit wound through the courts, the mothers and children marched every day, in spite of threats, cross burnings and job losses. They marched in sun, rain and snow for nearly two years until the mothers won their court case. Their children became the first Black students to attend a high-quality local elementary school. Their judicial victory in the Midwest inspired Black parents in communities across the country.

If you want to read more about this story, visit our Lincoln School Story page.

If you’re curious about other Ohio stories, check out our grant page. Tune in to other events on our calendar, too!