April 23, 2008

FARMVILLE, Va. – Lacy Ward Jr., a former superintendent of the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site, was introduced today as the director of the Robert Russa Moton Museum, the former high school where black students in 1951 organized a strike for education equality.

Ward was introduced today at a ceremony at the museum, which is the former Moton High School of Prince Edward County.  The student-led strike over their inferior “separate but equal” education led to a federal court challenge, Davis vs. County School Board of Prince Edward County, which became part of Brown vs. Board of Education, the U.S. Supreme Court’s historic 1954 decision requiring equal education for all.

"We are pleased to be working with Dominion to fully develop the Moton Museum as the anchor site of the Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail," said Ward. "Partnering with 14 Southside Virginia communities, we will jointly work to preserve and interpret the history of expanded educational opportunity across the region."

The Dominion Foundation announced at the ceremony that it was awarding a $200,000 grant to the museum to help its mission.  The Dominion Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Dominion.

"This contribution will help the museum develop appropriate programs and educational materials to document and publicize Moton High School’s historic role in bringing equality in education to all," said William C. Hall Jr., Dominion vice president-Corporate Communications and Community Affairs and president of the Dominion Foundation.

Moton High School witnessed the Commonwealth's "Massive Resistance" and the closing of Prince Edward County Public Schools from 1959-1964; the operation of the Prince Edward "Free Schools" in 1963-64; and the 1964 Griffin vs. Prince Edward decision ordering the reopening of the county's public schools.

Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 26,500 megawatts of generation.  Dominion serves retail energy customers in 11 states.  For more information about Dominion, visit the company's Web site at http://www.dom.com.  For information about Dominion’s charitable giving, use keyword "foundation."

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