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DEATH THREATS and DESEGREGATION: My Father's Role in the Integration of Arlington, Virginia Public Schools
L. Lee Bean, Jr.
L. Lee Bean, Jr. was a wonderful father and an amazing man, but I didn't know exactly how amazing until I was about 16... when I asked him about his role in the fight to integrate Arlington, Virginia Public Schools.
The United States was experiencing huge and long-anticipated changes in the 1950s. And on May 17, 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court decided any law that had established segregated public schools was unconstitutional. Every public school in America was required to integrate.
To no one's surprise, southern state's refused to comply with the Court. And thus began a painful stand-off. Virginia liked its segregation, thank you very much, and had Jim Crow laws in place to make certain every aspect of Black Americans' lives difficult:
- Black public schools provided a sub-par education.
- Black Virginians could only get sub-par housing, because it was hard for them to secure loans.
- Black Virginians had difficult getting good jobs with good pay, because businesses were segregated and only saw them as "worthy" of low level jobs.
And the list goes on (Visit "The Story of Segregation and Desegregation in Arlington" for further information).
My father - known as Lee - was a successful practicing attorney in Arlington in the 1950s, and in 1957 he was elected to the Arlington, Virginia School Board (Another momentous event that year was the birth of his third child, Meredith).
Arlington Democrats liked Lee, because he was known as an intelligent moderate and an all around great guy. But Democrats' opinion didn't count for much.
Republicans held the majority of powerful Arlington positions. They, too, wanted my father on the Board for the reasons listed as above, but they knew that if school desegregation came up, Lee was unlikely to wander off and make an "anti-Republican" votes. They had an ace up their sleeve: if Lee voted with the U.S. Supreme Court for integration, he'd immediately break Virginia State law and lose his license to practice. Hence Republicans were absolutely positive he'd keep things just the way they were.
The issue came up in 1959. There were five members on the Arlington School Board that year - two ready to vote for, two against and my father - smack in the center.
When the vote came up, L. Lee Bean, Jr. voted with the U.S. Supreme Court for integration.
After that, our family received death threats and my father waited to lose his law license. But he never did. Arlington's decision was the first domino, and Virginia began a massive change.
The first black students to integrate Arlington public schools: Gloria Thompson, Lance Newman, Michael Jones and Ronald Deskins prepare to enter Stratford Junior High School on February 2, 1959
Years later, my father told me the whole story. And I asked him why: why with all that danger and tension he went ahead and cast the swing vote to integrate Arlington Public Schools, and he paused. Then he said, "It was a matter of justice".
He lived his whole life that way, so I understood. And I'm deeply grateful to have been his daughter.
My father, 1980
Arlington County Public Library holds oral histories about that decision provided by my father and Elizabeth Campbell (Founder of WETA public television who also served on the School Board).
Further history is contained in my father's obituary in The Washington Post.
Oscar Bean
Your father and my father were Bean lawyers, cousins, and friends. Charles, "Bus" Bean was also a contemporary lawyer cousin. I met your father when he, Bus Bean and my father, Ralph J. Bean, visited my grandfather, M. A. Bean, in Moorefield. My father (who passed in 1978) thought highly of Lee. There is a picture - somewhere in my family - of the three Bean lawyers together. Your Grandfather, of the same name, was an Assistant Cashier at the Hardy County Bank, in Moorefield. He moved to Florida before the advent of WWI. A good thing! The Hardy County Bank would become insolvent during the great depression. All of the best. Oscar M. Bean
Meredith McMath link
Oscar -
Thank you so much for commenting. My father used to talk about your father quite a bit (and thought highly of him, as well!). I would love to see that photo if you ever run across it.
My mother, husband, son and I visited Moorefield several years ago. I can't recall the name of the gentleman who took us up to see the Bean home on the top of the hill (but I'll try to find that in my records). Meant so much to us!
Thanks again for touching base. Would love to keep in touch!
By the way, I have a PDF of "The Bean Family of Hardy County West Virginia" which is fascinating. Compiled by Josephine Bean Wilson in August of 1917. If you'll pass me your email address, I'll send it over!
Meredith Bean McMath is a prize-winning playwright, award-winning historian, stage director, ​speaker and the Managing Director of Run Rabbit Run Productions, Inc.
Her early work as an historian included history columns and presentations, historic fiction, and museum programs.
As she researched Loudoun County Civil War history, she and friend, Joni Lynn Crane, decided to found Run Rabbit Run Productions to film history documentaries. Their first documentary, "Having A Ball" aired on The History Channel, and their second, "Southern Courage: Civil War Women of Loudoun County, Virginia", can be seen here.
Research for all of the above led her to begin play writing and production, and her works now include original dramas, comedies, musicals and opera librettos.
"One passion kept leading to another," said Meredith. "And I'm grateful for the talented people I've worked with and every opportunity I've been given". She smiled. "But I do wish writers and directors were paid a little more".
ON HISTORY
Afternoon Tea is for Lovers
Union Troop
Everyone Should Restore an Old Tavern... Once
"And a Straight-Jacket for the Editor"
Out of the Ordinary: Hillsboro, Virginia in the Civil War
The Mouse is Dry! and Other Little Tales from the Country
A Perfect Stranger Walks Across America
Death Threats and Desegregation
How to Grow A Mountain Man
How to Grow Another Mountain Man
​A Hard History: Confederate Virginia's Only
The Professional Daydreamer
What Would Mark Twain Do?
To Kindle or Not to Kindle, That is the Question
Why Do We Write?​
​ON THEATRE
Making Romance - Diary of a Playwright / Director
How to Catch a Christmas Spirit: Building an Award-winning Musical from a Charles Dickens Classic
If "All the World's a Stage", Theatre is Best of all Possible Worlds
Bringing Out the Best in Actors
How to Start A Directing Career at Age Five
Good Theatre Asks Important Questions and Tries to Answer Them
Casting About
Hollywhat?
Art vs. Control
Things to know before taking a Shakespeare Class with a very important Actor from the Glob Theatre forlordssake
A Valentines Story
Time Enough
A Wedding to Remember: a Memoir by Maxine H. Bean​