One of 'Norfolk 17' visits Cox HS

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - Patricia Godbolt White, a member of the original "Norfolk 17", appeared at the sixth annual African American History Month "Day of Celebration" program at Cox High School on Friday.

White and 16 other teenagers were the first to integrate Norfolk Public Schools on February 2, 1959.

In her speech to the students at Cox, White shared her story of courage and perseverance in overcoming white Massive Resistance to public school desegregation in Norfolk in the 1950s.

"It (Massive Resistance) eliminated public education for months when the schools were closed in order to keep seventeen students out of schools," White related to her audience.  "From September to February, the schools were closed.

"The kids didn't really interact with us, other than to call us names, and to throw things at us, or just serenade us with the song 'Charlie Brown.'"

White later earned both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees after becoming the the Commonwealth's first African American student to graduate from a desegregated school, completing her high school career with honors at Norview High School. Following a 40-year career in education, White retired as the head of the science department at Booker T. Washington High School in 2007.

The Cox program also included a special presentation from Cox senior Basil Abdalla who recently won Dominion Resources annual "Special Men, Strong Women" African American History essay contest. His award represented the fourth time that a Cox student won in the competition. He won a laptop and a $1,000 award for the school.