Prince William County has lost a quiet trailblazer. Zella Salley Brown, the last surviving member of the “Courageous Four,” passed away on June 30, 2026, at age 90.
In 1964, Brown and three other Black educators—Fannie W. Fitzgerald, Mary G. Porter, and Maxine Coleman—were selected to integrate previously all-White Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS). With little notice and no public fanfare, they reported to their new assignments the following day. Brown transferred from Antioch-McCrae Elementary to Loch Lomond Elementary, where she taught for much of her 30-year career in PWCS.
The move came nearly a decade after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision. While Prince Edward County closed its schools rather than integrate, Prince William County took a quieter path forward. Earlier student integration had begun in 1961 when the Russell family, led by Rev. James P. Russell, enrolled their children—Joyce, Cameron, and Deborah—in county schools.
The women’s contributions remained largely overlooked for decades. In the early 2000s, educator and historian Denise McPhail advocated for recognition. Fannie W. Fitzgerald Elementary School was named in 2008. A historical marker honoring the Courageous Four was unveiled in 2022 outside the school, with Brown participating. McPhail also produced the student play The Courageous Four at Colgan High School.
Former Prince William County School Board member Lillie Jessie (Occoquan District) played a key role in bringing their stories to light. Jessie, a retired principal, shared the news of the Fitzgerald school naming with Mrs. Fitzgerald, who reacted with tears after decades of feeling forgotten. Jessie later established an Unsung Hero Award to honor Brown and approached her about naming a school in her honor. Brown declined, preferring to remain a “leader from behind.”
Jessie and her husband, Richard Jessie, plan to pursue entry of Brown’s legacy into the Congressional Record.
“History is not remembered only through famous names,” Jessie wrote in a tribute. “It is also shaped by ordinary people who quietly choose courage when history calls their name. Zella Brown was one of those people.”
Brown was born Zella Pauline Salley on November 10, 1935, in Chase City, Virginia. She graduated from Virginia Union University with a degree in elementary education and dedicated her life to teaching.
A viewing and Homegoing Funeral Service are scheduled for July 15, 2026, at First Baptist Church in Manassas, with burial at Quantico National Cemetery.
Obituary: https://www.piercefh.com/m/obituaries/zella-brown-4/ (Pierce Funeral Home, Manassas)
