Photo and Names by Tuskegee News Staff : Back Row: Anthony Lee, Patricia Jones, Shirley Chambliss, Willie B. Wyatt, Wilma Jones, Marsha Sullins, & Robert Judkins Jr. Front Row: Carmen Judkins, Heloise Billes, Harvey Jackson, Janis Carter, Ellen Henderson

Celebrating The Legacy of Lee v. Macon County Board of Education

Brandyn Peterson

On Friday, September 11, 2026, guests gathered for a program organized by the Johnson Institute to recognize the enduring legacy of the original plaintiffs involved in the landmark 1963 civil rights case, Lee v. Macon County Board of Education. Five of the original plaintiffs were in attendance: Anthony Lee, Willie B. Wyatt, Wilma Jones Scott, Marsha Sullins-Slocum, and Edith Henderson Wimbish.

The group, who were teenagers between the ages of 13 and 16 at the time the lawsuit was filed, reflected on their experiences as plaintiffs and the challenges they faced during that pivotal moment in American history.

The heart of the event featured a panel discussion with Mr. Lee, Mr. Wyatt, Ms. Scott, and Ms. Sullins-Slocum speaking in the Judge Myron Thompson Courtroom to a courtroom full of family and close friends. The room was the same location where the Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr. issued rulings to desegregate public schools across Alabama.

To ensure these firsthand accounts are preserved for future generations, the Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr. Institute recorded oral histories with the original plaintiffs as they recounted their personal experiences. These recordings will soon be available on the institute’s website.

Check out the WSFA 12 article below to learn more about the event.