Flora D. Crittenden

Early and family life

Born in Brooklyn, New York, as a child Flora Davis moved to Scarsdale, New York where her parents worked as caretakers at a mansion, then back to Brooklyn after she experienced racial discrimination as an eight-year-old girl. She spent summers with relatives in Virginia's Hampton Roads area, and after she graduated from elementary school in Brooklyn, came to Newport News, Virginia to live with her grandmother and aunts in the all-black Southeast Community. Flora Davis attended and graduated from the former Huntington High School in Newport News (the only all-black high school in the area until George Washington Carver High School was built in 1949) in 1941, then attended Virginia State University, receiving a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1945 (although she had wanted to study mathematics at Spellman College in Atlanta). She pledged with the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, but her class and work schedule were too heavy to permit full involvement, although she later joined the graduate chapter.

For 65 years she was married to Raymond C. ("Coach") Crittenden Jr. (1926-2010), born in Richmond and also an athlete at and graduate of Virginia State University. For fifty years Coach Crittenden also worked as teacher, athletic coach and administrator in the Newport News public schools. They had three surviving children.

Career

Upon receiving her bachelor's degree, Crittenden then taught physical education, English and social studies at the new Carver High School in Warwick (which would later be incorporated into Newport News) for seven years. She found its principal Homer L. Hines supported his teachers as well as the community. In 1956, she and her husband moved their young family to Indiana where they experienced racial segregation while she earned a Master of Science degree in physical education, health sciences and counseling from Indiana University. Both Crittendens received their graduate degrees from that university in 1959. Their children also experienced racially integrated schools and more personalized programs than available in Virginia. In 1971 Flora Crittenden studied Advanced Guidance Theory at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, which helped her to establish a career counseling program at Carver High School.

Crittenden worked in the Newport News public schools for 32 years—as a teacher and department head for 15 years, and as a guidance counselor and guidance director for another 17 years. Newport News schools did not fully integrate until 1971. Her husband became the first African American administrator to be assigned a white school (as assistant principal of Denbigh High School), although that come over the vocal opposition of an all-white segregationist group that called itself "Save our Schools". She was also long active in the NAACP (including as the chapter president in 1981) as well as Trinity Baptist Church.

Political career

Her political career began in 1986, when Flora Crittenden won election to a four-year term on the Newport News City Council, and she served there until 1990. When delegate Bobby Scott ran for (and won election to) the Virginia Senate from Newport News, his position was taken by Rev. W. Henry Maxwell. When Scott ran for the U.S. Congress, Maxwell ran for (and was elected to) the Virginia Senate seat. Thus, the Virginia delegate position representing Newport News came open, and Crittenden ran and won election as a delegate in the Virginia General Assembly in January 1993. She won re-election in 1995, ran unopposed in 1997 and 1999, and again won easily in 2001. She declined to seek reelection in 2003 and was succeeded by fellow Democrat Mamye BaCote.

Since 2000, she has been chairperson of the board of Christopher Newport University, the first black woman to hold that post. The former George Washington Carver High School in Newport News was renamed the Flora D. Crittenden Middle School in 1995, and now serves as a magnet school for science and mathematics. A new high school was built and honors former Carver High principal Homer L. Hines. The Daily Press named her one of the top ten most influential women on the Peninsula. In 2015, the Library of Virginia honored her service as one of its Virginia Women in History.