Berwyn School Fight
Tredyffrin Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
In 1932, Tredyffrin and Easttown school districts began segregating their elementary schools. Local Black families and supporters met at Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church and planned to fight this discrimination. The resulting boycott deprived affected children of more than 300 school days but forced officials to rescind the segregation order. Children returned to integrated schools in 1934. The event paved the way for the 1935 Pa. Equal Rights Bill.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
In 1932 the Tredyffrin and Easttown school districts began segregating their elementary schools, sending Black children to separate classrooms. Local Black families and their allies gathered at Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church and organized a boycott, keeping their children out of school for more than 300 days rather than accept the order. The pressure worked: officials rescinded segregation, and by 1934 the children returned to integrated schools — a victory that helped spur Pennsylvania's 1935 Equal Rights Bill.
Why it matters
The Berwyn boycott was a grassroots civil-rights fight two decades before Brown v. Board of Education, showing how organized Black communities challenged school segregation in the North and won legislative change.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Attractions
- American Bandstand13.5 mi away
- Discovery Center at East Park Reservoir13.7 mi away
- Pennsylvania Railroad, Connecting Railway Bridge13.9 mi away
- Philadelphia Zoo13.9 mi away
- Rocky Steps14.9 mi away
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Related events
- · Berwyn School Fight (1932–1934)
- · Pennsylvania Equal Rights Bill (1935)
Themes & tags
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