|
MR. JOHN ARTHUR
STOKES Activist, Plaintiff, Author, Educator, Lecturer, Trailblazer
"I am hiding in the bushes to keep from
being seen and/or discovered. In my haste to hide, I accidentally ripped the skin off my leg. I now feel that fresh blood
as it soaks through my clothing. No, I have not committed any crime. It is the era/time in which I am now living that created
this problem. I am living in the era of 'Separate But Equal'.
This law did very little to protect people of color." The
above quote is the opening passage and chapter in Stokes’ book titled Students on Strike.
In this book, J. A. Stokes takes everyone on a journey so that all can experience what he experienced, lived through and/or
felt during that scary period in history. Hence, one will understand fully why Stokes was hiding on that hot, humid, moonless
night, along a major highway system in rural Virginia.
In this day and time, the experience cited above and others that
would match the category through which Stokes and his peers experienced and suffered would be looked upon by some as a type
of bullying. Thusly, the bullying pulpit had been established by ‘The Separate But Equal’ Doctrine. After all,
this was the law of the land during that time. It was separate, but it was NEVER, EVER equal. The law was known as Plessy
V. Ferguson.
Hence, we had had enough; the
idea of a strike was born. As a high school activist and a Key strike leader in 1951, Stokes became a part of a movement that
was felt and heard throughout the world. This strike set the stage for Stokes to become one of the original plaintiffs
in the landmark civil rights case, Brown v. Board of Education. Serving as an ad hoc member of a Virginia General Assembly Steering Committee in
Richmond, Virginia, Mr. Stokes played an important role in the Brown v. Board of Education Scholarship Program and Fund Project.
He, Dr. Foster, Ken Woodley of the Farmville Herald, Leslie Stokes, Mrs. Baskerville, Edward Peoples and others were
the first to meet with the then Governor Warner in regards to this project. Later, James Allen, Samuel Williams, Edward Peoples,
Colonel Martha Stokes Cleveland, and others were included in a committee that was chaired by Attorney Marsh in Richmond, Virginia.
Mr. Stokes, Dr. Amy Tillerson Brown, Mr. Lacy Ward, Sr., Norm Neverson, and others sponsored bus rallies to Richmond to further
support this vital project before it came to fruition. This
committee was instrumental in getting $2,000,000 funded to the "Brown v.
Board of Education Scholarship Program and Fund" which assisted those affected by the closure
of public schools to avoid desegregation.
Mr. Stokes served as a teacher, a master teacher,
assistant principal, assistant to the superintendent, and principal in Baltimore City Public Schools before retiring as
principal in 1994. One would think that after retiring, Mr. John A. Stokes would have slowed down a bit-----On the contrary,
since retiring, he has served as an adjunct professor at different colleges and universities.
Mr. Stokes has received a multiplicity of awards and recognitions
due to his stance for the rights of all people:
*** The Dr. Charles Hamilton Houston Award ***
The A. Leon Higginbotham Award
*** a United States Department of Justice Award
*** a Congressional Senatorial Award ***
an N.A.A.C.P. Award
*** an N.E.A. Award
*** an Award from The Community Teachers' Institute JUST TO NAME A FEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As if that's not enough,
the greatest recognition to date would have to be Mr. Stokes' likeness in a figure that is
now displayed among others in a civil rights monument on the Capitol grounds (at The Capitol Square Civil Rights
Memorial) in Richmond, VA. This unique statue was unveiled in July 2008. Enter Here to view monument. As previously stated, Stokes is the author of: STUDENTS ON STRIKE: Jim Crow, Civil Rights, Brown and Me with
Dr. Lois Wolfe and Dr. Herman Viola. 
"In this moving memoir, John
A. Stokes recounts his experiences growing up in the oppressive conditions of the Jim Crow South. And for
the first time ever, he reveals the workings of the student committee that planned and executed a strike for better conditions
at Robert Russa Moton High School, a strike that made Stokes a plaintiff in the landmark civil rights case Brown v. Board
of Education and helped change life in the United States of America forever."
~National Geographic
This book received a STARRED REVIEW "Stokes's inspiring story...will hold the interest of researchers and readers, making this an important choice for all collections."
It has also been presented
for a multiplicity of awards, nominations, and recognitions. The American Library Association Social Studies Roundtable
Task Force selected John Stokes as the "torch bearer for MLK and the civil rights movement" at their annual convention
in 2008.
Students on Strike: Jim Crow, Civil Rights, Brown, and Me Published by National Geographic.
Order Direct: Call toll-free 1-877-873-6846 or
fax 1-515-699-3738
**This book is also available
in student paper back addition at
As a result
of this great book, J. A. Stokes has been featured in many newspapers and magazines including: The
College Board Review, The Washington Post, The Informant, The Farmville Herald, The Daily Herald, Suburban Life, The Gazette, The Chicago
Tribune, Prince George County Library System Newsletter, as well as MBC News and the Glen Ellyn
News. He has also been featured in enumerable articles.
Mr. Stokes has most recently been a guest on CNN.COM and C-Span 2. He has been featured on many radio and television
stations in regards to his mission and journey including the Great Plains television network and The Tavis Smiley show.
These
days, Mr. Stokes devotes most of his time to lecturing on the Supreme Court's landmark case: Brown v. Board of Education. "It is his fervent hope that this book will encourage
readers to take a stand for equality and justice for all people." Mr. Stokes is now in the midst of lectures/tours
in order to promote this historical and significant information to people throughout the country. J. A. Stokes continues
to expound upon the Civil Rights Era and the continued needs to keep up the fight for equality and justice for all people.
He stresses the fact that all people should become Social Engineers for change. Throughout his career, Mr. Stokes has
never forgotten whose shoulders he has stood on. Hence, he has never forgotten his roots. Students from Richmond, Virginia's Fox Elementary School were visited by Mr.
Stokes. Read what they had to say after their great experience: |
JUST IN....
