Meet Betty
Dr. Betty Kilby and the Kilby family have always believed in the right to a quality education for all people. In 1958, she became the reluctant plaintiff in the case Betty Ann Kilby, et al., vs. Warren Country Board of Education and her fight for integration changed the course of her life and countless others.
Betty graduated from Warren County High School and went on to earn her A.A.S. in Business Management; a BS in Business Administration; and an MBA with a concentration in Productivity Improvement in the Workplace.
She also has an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Shenandoah University.
She is the author of “Wit, Will & Walls” and is the main character of a documentary film with the same title. Betty also co-authored a second book, “Cousins,” which was released in March of 2021.
Betty is also a mother and grandmother who lives with her husband, Pastor David Baldwin, in Texas.
“Our history is rich with the accomplishments of the African American people. We cannot reject our past, nor can we change it. We must embrace it and take comfort in knowing that our people came through such trials not just once, but over and over again. But in the end, we are triumphant.” - Dr. Betty Kilby
Learn More About International Author, Speaker and Activist
Dr. Betty Kilby
Dr. Betty Kilby is featured in Episode 2 of the Netflix documentary Stories Of A Generation with Pope Francis.
“In candid and heartwarming stories, inspiring women and men over 70 share poignant life lessons and pivotal choices from their remarkable journeys.”
Phoebe Kilby and Betty Ann Kilby Fisher Baldwin reveal to Guideposts how their unlikely discovery that they were cousins helped Phoebe grasp more fully the marks racism and slavery have left and Betty to more fully embrace the practice of forgiveness in August of 2021.
Educational Resources
The Integration story began with the 1954 Supreme Court decision that outlawed segregated schools.
However, it did not deliver integrated education without a fight.
This Integration Timeline can be saved to your computer as an image and used for educational purposes.
Gallery
Betty Receives Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Shenandoah University.
Betty Receives Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Shenandoah University.
Christmas at the White House.
Betty at the Oscars with Her Daughter Bettina.
Betty with Former Governor Douglas Wilder (D-VA) at the Virginia Film Festival.
Betty Receives Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Shenandoah University.
Betty's Father, James W. Kilby, Reading "Wit, Will & Walls."
Pastor David Baldwin and his First Lady, Betty Baldwin.
Warren County High School, Historic Marker, and the Street in Front of the School Called Kilby Drive Named in Honor of James W. Kilby.
Betty’s Parents James and Catherine Kilby.
Betty with Daughter Renee and Son Tony.
Family: David Jr., Neico, Pastor David Baldwin, and Dexter.
Betty and her Youngest Daughter, Erika.