WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Representative Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) led the entire Tennessee delegation in introducing a resolution celebrating the role of 85 students from the Scarboro neighborhood in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in the desegregation of public schools following the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education.

On September 6, 1955, these 85 African American students – known as the “Scarboro 85” – entered all-white classrooms in Oak Ridge High School and Robertsville Junior High, becoming the first public schools in the Southeast region to integrate and implement the ruling of the Supreme Court.

“The Scarboro 85 made the monumental first step in integrating schools in Tennessee and the Southeast region. It is an honor to celebrate these 85 Tennesseans along with my colleagues in the Tennessee delegation following the 69^th anniversary of desegregation at Oak Ridge High School and Robertsville Junior High School,” said Senator Blackburn.

“The moment the Scarboro 85 desegregated two public schools in Oak Ridge, the first school desegregation anywhere in the Southeast, a new chapter in America’s history began – a chapter where the fundamental truth of America envisioned by our Founders that ‘all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness’ was fulfilled. The Scarboro 85 are heroes, and every American should know their story from coast to coast. I am honored to join Senator Blackburn and my Tennessee Congressional colleagues to honor the Scarboro 85 and the brave and noble work they did to make our state and nation a better place for every Tennessean and American,” said Representative Fleischmann.

Click here to download this photo of Senator Blackburn with “Scarboro 85” students in 2021.

Tennessee Led the Southeast Region in Desegregating Public Schools Thanks to the Bravery of the Scarboro 85

“In a second opinion issued on May 31, 1955, the Supreme Court of the United States decreed that schools should be desegregated ‘with all deliberate speed’…On September 6, 1955, Oak Ridge High School and Robertsville Junior High, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, became the first public schools in the Southeast region to implement the ruling of the Supreme Court of the United States in Brown v. Board of Education…The integration of Oak Ridge High School and Robertsville Junior High was conducted in a peaceful manner.”

This resolution is endorsed by the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association (ORHPA).

“In preparation for the first day, I and other students had been coached with training by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE).  I endured the negative glances and unfair treatment by students and teachers because I was determined to graduate in 1956 and be successful. This resolution and the actions of the Scarboro 85 were the keys to unlock the doors in this nation's long road to equality,” said Shirley Hawkins Lawrence, Scarboro 85 student.

“We really appreciate Congress recognizing these wonderful pioneers,” said Ms. Rose Weaver, longtime Scarboro Historian and Co- Chair of the Scarboro 85 Anniversary Celebration in 2020. “They changed the course of education and sports in our nation.”

“You just can’t speak of Civil Rights in America, without talking about the Scarboro 85,” said Coach John Spratling, award-winning educator and Chairman of the Scarboro 85 Monument Celebration Committee. “They made all the difference. In many ways, they opened the modern civil rights era!”

“The Scarboro 85 students, parents, and teachers brought Black and White communities together to help America,” said Martin McBride, Ph.D., member of the Monument Celebration Committee and Co-Chair of the Scarboro Anniversary Celebration in 2020. “They set a wonderful example for our nation --- and the World.”

• Senator Blackburn and Representative Fleischmann were joined by Senator Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) and U.S. Representatives Mark Green (R-Tenn.), Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.), David Kustoff (R-Tenn.), Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.), Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.), and John Rose (R-Tenn.) in introducing this resolution.

Click here for resolution text.