The Calfee Junior Pioneer Masthead
"The Calfee Junior Pioneer... The Voice of the Calfee School Student"
Naomi Thomas, who was signed onto the lawsuit, and her sister Ruth Thomas were both daughters of Reverend F.D. Thomas, who attended the Calfee school in Pulaski. During their time at the school, they both were on the school newspaper staff who worked on the school's monthly newspaper, the Calfee Junior Pioneer. The paper’s Masthead was included on the quilt to represent the two girls' hard work and commitment to working on the Calfee School newspaper.
Reverend F.D. Thomas
Reverend F.D. Thomas signed his daughter Naomi Thomas onto the 1947 Corbin et al v. County School Board of Pulaski County et al. case. He was known as a selfless man who was heavily involved in his church. According to community members, he prioritized his children's educational experiences. Reverend F.D. Thomas was a well respected individual of the Black community in Pulaski with major influence in the local Methodist churches and important advocate for equality among schools for the Black children of Pulaski.
Click Here to Watch
Rev. F.D. Thomas (courtesy of the Randolph Avenue United Methodist Church of Pulaski, Virginia, and Mickey Hickman)
Named Participant List
In 1947, along with 23 other families, Reverend F.D. Thomas signed his daughter Naomi Thomas onto the Corbin et al. v. County School Board of Pulaski County, VA. et al. case. As a father who prioritized his children's education and their opportunities to succeed and grow academically, F.D. Thomas attached his and his daughters name to the civil rights case even at a time where it could have been dangerous to do so. While designing the Thomas quilt square, it was important to highlight the lawsuit itself as a way to commemorate the courageous and difficult decision of signing onto a civil rights court case in the 1940's. The Thomas family played a key roll as one of the many families who signed onto the lawsuit as F.D. Thomas was a man with many connections and respect among the Black community in Pulaski and a man held highly within religious spaces among local churches in Pulaski.
"Naomi Thomas, an infant, by F.D. Thomas, her father and next friend,"
Corbin et al. v. County School Board of Pulaski County, VA. et al. Plaintiff List (courtesy of the District Court of the United States for the Western District of Virginia Roanoke Division)
Clerical Collar
Reverend F.D. Thomas was known as one of the few clergy members who wore the full Clergy collar daily. This decision displayed his commitment to his church and faith, setting a precedent for the other members regarding the importance of commitment to one's faith and God. F.D. Thomas was a man very dedicated to his Christian faith and the United Methodist Church in Pulaski Virginia. He was a highly respected man within the church in which his dedication to the little things such as wearing his clergy collar every service he attended was one of the many aspects of his character that showed his devotion to his church and his faith.
Richard, Debra and Hazel Pannell Names and Children Reading
Naomi’s three children, Richard Jr., Debra, and Hazel Pannell, are represented at the bottom of the Quilt block in a line drawing of three children reading and learning, along with their three names written out in cursive writing next to the line drawing. F.D. Thomas placed a high importance on education in the Thomas family household, as both Naomi and Ruth Thomas graduated from Calfee Training School and Christiansburg Institute. Naomi later passed down this value to her three children, instilling the same values and encouraging them to value education like she did. Many of the families represented on the quilt encouraged their children to take their education seriously, and if possible, go on to receive a higher education degree to further their chances of economic success.
New Century Methodist Church in Pulaski, Virginia
For decades, Reverend F.D. Thomas was a pastor at New Century Methodist Church in Pulaski, Virginia. The New Century Methodist Church was a significant place for F.D. Thomas and his children. Reverend Thomas's commitment to his church was incredibly admirable as it showed his commitment to his religion and church, and the importance placed on his surrounding community. The church itself was a pillar for the black Methodist community since its founding in 1900 on West Main Street of Pulaski, as it served as one of the oldest and biggest Methodist congregations for decades for the black community in Pulaski. While the Church is no longer standing, the New Century Methodist Church’s legacy lives on within the families who attended the church through the lessons learned and community built inside its walls, as a member and a Reverend of the New Century Methodist Church, F.D. Thomas instilled the importance of faith and community into his children by setting the example of what it means to live a life committed to God.
New Century Methodist Church (courtesy of the Randolph Avenue United Methodist Church of Pulaski, Virginia, and Mickey Hickman)
United Methodist Cross and Flame Logo
Religion and the New Century Methodist Church were vital for the Thomas family, as Reverend Thomas instilled the importance of faith in his children. From visiting his children's school to talk about the church to being a well respected member of the local methodist church clergy at United Methodist Church of Pulaski, Reverend F.D. Thomas prioritized his faith and religion and encouraged his children to view their faith similarly. The inclusion of the Methodist Cross and Flame symbol represents Reverend F.D. Thomas's work in the Methodist Church and the family’s connection to the Christian Faith. The Methodist Cross and Flame symbol is placed centrally on the block design to show its overwhelming impact the Methodist church had in the lives of the Thomas family and how faith was the center focus of their lives.
Click Here to Watch
Nurse's Cap
Daughter of Reverend F.D. Thomas, Naomi Thomas was born on April 24th, 1933, in Pulaski, Virginia. In her adult life, she moved to Camden, New Jersey, where she worked as a nurse's aide at West Jersey Hospital for four years. Working sometime in the 1950s and the 1960s before she died in 1963, Naomi Thomas worked as a nurse’s aide in West Jersey Hospital, which was likely desegregated at the time. While many hospitals in the South remained segregated by state law. ” In Pulaski County, there were not many opportunities for Black women to have a career in the medical field, which caused many women like Naomi Thomas to leave the area in search of a job. The nurse's cap was included in the quilt design to represent Naomi's compassionate character by working as a nurse's aide. Being a nurse's aide requires selflessness, physical and mental strength, and a willingness to do difficult or unpleasant tasks for the betterment of your patients. Qualities such as these represent Naomi and the entire Thomas family throughout their lives, as simple acts of selflessness and compassion stem directly from their community involvement and their faith.
Thomas
Jill Williams
Created on June 30, 2025
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Transcript
The Calfee Junior Pioneer Masthead
"The Calfee Junior Pioneer... The Voice of the Calfee School Student"
Naomi Thomas, who was signed onto the lawsuit, and her sister Ruth Thomas were both daughters of Reverend F.D. Thomas, who attended the Calfee school in Pulaski. During their time at the school, they both were on the school newspaper staff who worked on the school's monthly newspaper, the Calfee Junior Pioneer. The paper’s Masthead was included on the quilt to represent the two girls' hard work and commitment to working on the Calfee School newspaper.
Reverend F.D. Thomas
Reverend F.D. Thomas signed his daughter Naomi Thomas onto the 1947 Corbin et al v. County School Board of Pulaski County et al. case. He was known as a selfless man who was heavily involved in his church. According to community members, he prioritized his children's educational experiences. Reverend F.D. Thomas was a well respected individual of the Black community in Pulaski with major influence in the local Methodist churches and important advocate for equality among schools for the Black children of Pulaski.
Click Here to Watch
Rev. F.D. Thomas (courtesy of the Randolph Avenue United Methodist Church of Pulaski, Virginia, and Mickey Hickman)
Named Participant List
In 1947, along with 23 other families, Reverend F.D. Thomas signed his daughter Naomi Thomas onto the Corbin et al. v. County School Board of Pulaski County, VA. et al. case. As a father who prioritized his children's education and their opportunities to succeed and grow academically, F.D. Thomas attached his and his daughters name to the civil rights case even at a time where it could have been dangerous to do so. While designing the Thomas quilt square, it was important to highlight the lawsuit itself as a way to commemorate the courageous and difficult decision of signing onto a civil rights court case in the 1940's. The Thomas family played a key roll as one of the many families who signed onto the lawsuit as F.D. Thomas was a man with many connections and respect among the Black community in Pulaski and a man held highly within religious spaces among local churches in Pulaski.
"Naomi Thomas, an infant, by F.D. Thomas, her father and next friend,"
Corbin et al. v. County School Board of Pulaski County, VA. et al. Plaintiff List (courtesy of the District Court of the United States for the Western District of Virginia Roanoke Division)
Clerical Collar
Reverend F.D. Thomas was known as one of the few clergy members who wore the full Clergy collar daily. This decision displayed his commitment to his church and faith, setting a precedent for the other members regarding the importance of commitment to one's faith and God. F.D. Thomas was a man very dedicated to his Christian faith and the United Methodist Church in Pulaski Virginia. He was a highly respected man within the church in which his dedication to the little things such as wearing his clergy collar every service he attended was one of the many aspects of his character that showed his devotion to his church and his faith.
Richard, Debra and Hazel Pannell Names and Children Reading
Naomi’s three children, Richard Jr., Debra, and Hazel Pannell, are represented at the bottom of the Quilt block in a line drawing of three children reading and learning, along with their three names written out in cursive writing next to the line drawing. F.D. Thomas placed a high importance on education in the Thomas family household, as both Naomi and Ruth Thomas graduated from Calfee Training School and Christiansburg Institute. Naomi later passed down this value to her three children, instilling the same values and encouraging them to value education like she did. Many of the families represented on the quilt encouraged their children to take their education seriously, and if possible, go on to receive a higher education degree to further their chances of economic success.
New Century Methodist Church in Pulaski, Virginia
For decades, Reverend F.D. Thomas was a pastor at New Century Methodist Church in Pulaski, Virginia. The New Century Methodist Church was a significant place for F.D. Thomas and his children. Reverend Thomas's commitment to his church was incredibly admirable as it showed his commitment to his religion and church, and the importance placed on his surrounding community. The church itself was a pillar for the black Methodist community since its founding in 1900 on West Main Street of Pulaski, as it served as one of the oldest and biggest Methodist congregations for decades for the black community in Pulaski. While the Church is no longer standing, the New Century Methodist Church’s legacy lives on within the families who attended the church through the lessons learned and community built inside its walls, as a member and a Reverend of the New Century Methodist Church, F.D. Thomas instilled the importance of faith and community into his children by setting the example of what it means to live a life committed to God.
New Century Methodist Church (courtesy of the Randolph Avenue United Methodist Church of Pulaski, Virginia, and Mickey Hickman)
United Methodist Cross and Flame Logo
Religion and the New Century Methodist Church were vital for the Thomas family, as Reverend Thomas instilled the importance of faith in his children. From visiting his children's school to talk about the church to being a well respected member of the local methodist church clergy at United Methodist Church of Pulaski, Reverend F.D. Thomas prioritized his faith and religion and encouraged his children to view their faith similarly. The inclusion of the Methodist Cross and Flame symbol represents Reverend F.D. Thomas's work in the Methodist Church and the family’s connection to the Christian Faith. The Methodist Cross and Flame symbol is placed centrally on the block design to show its overwhelming impact the Methodist church had in the lives of the Thomas family and how faith was the center focus of their lives.
Click Here to Watch
Nurse's Cap
Daughter of Reverend F.D. Thomas, Naomi Thomas was born on April 24th, 1933, in Pulaski, Virginia. In her adult life, she moved to Camden, New Jersey, where she worked as a nurse's aide at West Jersey Hospital for four years. Working sometime in the 1950s and the 1960s before she died in 1963, Naomi Thomas worked as a nurse’s aide in West Jersey Hospital, which was likely desegregated at the time. While many hospitals in the South remained segregated by state law. ” In Pulaski County, there were not many opportunities for Black women to have a career in the medical field, which caused many women like Naomi Thomas to leave the area in search of a job. The nurse's cap was included in the quilt design to represent Naomi's compassionate character by working as a nurse's aide. Being a nurse's aide requires selflessness, physical and mental strength, and a willingness to do difficult or unpleasant tasks for the betterment of your patients. Qualities such as these represent Naomi and the entire Thomas family throughout their lives, as simple acts of selflessness and compassion stem directly from their community involvement and their faith.