On February 2, 1959 four young black students entered Stratford Junior High School, beginning the integration of Arlington County schools. And so went the rest of the state.

On February 2, 2016, all four of these students will return to Arlington County and Stratford for a community event sponsored by Arlington Public Schools. Michael G. Jones, Gloria Thompson, Ronald Deskins and Lance D. Newman will once again be together at Stratford. Come celebrate these amazing “Arlington History Makers” and here their story yourself.

Arlington Public Schools and Arlington County Government will host an event on Tue, Feb. 2, to mark the historic anniversary of school integration in Arlington County. The event will be held in the Stratford Auditorium at H-B Woodlawn Secondary School, 4100 Vacation Lane, beginning with a film presentation at 6 p.m. and a Community Conversation starting at 7:30 p.m. Click here for Arlington Public Schools Press Release.

The event is being sponsored by Arlington Public Schools, Arlington County Government; the Arlington Chapter of the NAACP; and the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington.