College denied admission to student in 1950s
FREDERICKSBURG, VA — Barbara White Jordan received the highest honor awarded by the University of Mary Washington as an acknowledgement of a societal wrong committed against her when she applied to attend UMW in the 1950s. Jordan was refused admission solely because of her race – no African-Americans attended the school at that time. Jordan did not let that rejection keep her from obtaining her education. She later attended Virginia State University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in 1960 and her master’s degree in 1968. She retired from an illustrious career in education in 1996 after teaching for over 35 years in the Richmond, VA area.
On March 14, 2016, the University of Mary Washington issued the Monroe Medal to Barbara White Jordan. The Monroe Medal was established in 2001 and has only been awarded three previous times since its inception. The award pays tribute to those who keep with the tradition of service of President James Monroe, for whom the award is named. A resolution recently adopted by the UMW Board of Trustees honors Jordan “in recognition of her perseverance to succeed in the face of discrimination and her lifelong commitment to education, social justice and equal opportunity.”
The award ceremony was held before the Women’s History Month keynote address, which was given by Martinsville, VA native, and Miss Virginia 2003, Nancy Redd. Redd congratulated Mrs. Jordan and acknowledged UMW Alumna and African-American recipient of the full-tuition Washington Scholarship in 2009, Roanoke native Kianna Davis. Kianna graduated magna cum laude from UMW in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, concentrated in management and marketing.
After the keynote address, Barbara White Jordan offered words of encouragement to Kianna Davis and expressed pride in her accomplishments. It was a full-circle moment for many attendees to see these two African-American women standing face-to-face – one, who was denied admission to the school in the 1950s and one who, 50 years later, was awarded a full academic scholarship to attend the school. Jordan said that the community must keep striving for equality in all areas, and that the struggle to be acknowledged and accepted is still something that everyone must work towards. Mrs. Jordan also spoke to Kianna about the importance of striving for “excellence in all that she does.” The moment evoked a feeling of “the passing of the torch.” From one proud, educated African-American woman to another, the challenge was accepted. What a fitting and victorious moment in celebration of Women’s History Month.
