Image courtesy of Scott Surovell
A historic marker was dedicated Sunday regarding the desegregation of private pools.
On Sunday, June 29 at 10 a.m. at Little Hunting Creek Club, 7000 Canterbury Lane in Alexandria, Virginia Senate Majority Leader, Sen. Scott Surovell, joined community members, civil rights advocates and state and local officials for the dedication of a historical marker commemorating the landmark Supreme Court case Sullivan v. Little Hunting Park, Inc. (1969).
The marker honors the courage of Paul Sullivan and Freeman family, whose fight against racial discrimination in the Bucknell Manor neighborhood led to the integration of thousands of private pools across the United States.
Read more about it here:
Surovell Floor Remarks Regarding Paul Sullivan
Black History Month & Mt. Vernon’s Paul Sullivan Legal Saga
Paul Sullivan Washington Post Obituary
The case began in the 1950s when Paul Sullivan moved his family to Bucknell Manor and later decided to rent his house to a Black family, allowing them to use the membership at the Little Hunting Creek Pool that came with the property. This act of racial equality sparked a neighborhood revolt that subjected the Sullivan family to years of harassment, including repeated mailbox bombings, threatening phone calls, and social ostracism.
“The story of Paul Sullivan and the Freeman family represents the very best of what it means to stand up for justice, even when facing tremendous personal cost,” said Sen. Surovell. “It was because of the selfless and courageous actions of those like Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Freeman and their families that our state and country were able to rid themselves of the scourge of segregation.”
History
The Sullivan and Freeman families filed suit in Fairfax County Circuit Court to have their pool memberships restored but initially lost. After two appeals and five years of litigation, the United States Supreme Court ordered the pool to reinstate their membership in Sullivan v. Little Hunting Park, Inc., 396 U.S. 229 (1969).
The decision ultimately led to the integration of thousands of private pools across the United States, with some Montgomery County pools attempting to continue denial of membership even after the Supreme Court ruling.
The case gained additional historical significance through its Supreme Court oral arguments, where Justice Thurgood Marshall played a prominent role in questioning the discriminatory practices. Historical audio recordings of the oral arguments capture Justice Marshall asking, “can we say it’s just color” and challenging the defendants with “What right do they have to deny the man privileges as a result of a connection with real property on the basis of race alone?”
In 2011, the Virginia General Assembly passed a memorializing resolution recognizing Paul Sullivan’s contributions to civil rights. Sullivan died March 15, 2011, at the age of 87, leaving behind his wife of 61 years and multiple children and grandchildren, many of whom still live on Coventry Road in Bucknell.
