Va. Scholarships Aim to Atone For Abuses During Desegregation: "The scholarships are a small but significant gesture, said Gov. Mark R. Warner (D), who endorsed the idea along with four former governors.
'I think that we have to recognize that this is one of the biggest mistakes Virginia ever made, to close down schools rather than integrate,' Warner said. 'You can never replace those lost years, but this at least goes a partial way to [repay] the debt we owe to these folks.'
Most of the recipients still live in the southern part of the state, where, between 1954 and 1964, authorities closed four school divisions instead of complying with the law and allowing white and black students to learn side by side."