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.
Check out the WSFA 12 article below to learn more about the event.
Oral History Videos from the Lee v. Macon County Board of Education Plaintiffs
The Johnson Institute has recorded a series of oral history videos featuring four of the original plaintiffs from the landmark 1963 Lee v. Macon County Board of Education case: Anthony Lee, Wilma Scott, Willie B. Wyatt, and Marsha Slocum. Click on the videos below to watch their full interviews and hear their firsthand perspectives on this historic desegregation battle.