Cainan Townsend ’15, M.S. ’20

Cainan Townsend ’15, M.S. ’20, is a teacher—just as he decided he would be when he was a sophomore in high school. But don’t look for him in a traditional classroom teaching math or spelling, as noble as that work is.

His classroom is the Moton Museum, housed in the former Moton High School building in Farmville and the only museum in Virginia dedicated to the fight for civil rights. His subject area is Prince Edward County’s critical role in that chapter of American history. And he strongly believes in educating people—not just those in Virginia—about the events in Prince Edward County that helped change the construct of American society.

Townsend’s nine years of work helping to build up the museum—including the last two as executive director—combined with his contributions in the Farmville/Prince Edward community and at the state level secured his place as the recipient of Longwood’s 2025 Young Alumni Award.

He is in his second term as an elected member of the Prince Edward County School Board and counts as one of the board’s biggest achievements the hiring earlier this year of fellow Longwood alumnus Chip Jones ’07, M.S. ’04, as superintendent. Townsend has also contributed to several statewide initiatives, including as a member of the African American Cultural Resources Task Force and the Virginia Commission on African American History Education.

As a native and lifelong resident of Farmville—and a product of the Prince Edward County public schools—Townsend is passionate about his community, including its past, present and future. That passion grows not only out of Townsend’s own experiences but also his family history, which is closely interwoven with that of the county.

His father was among the students locked out of the Prince Edward County Schools when they closed from 1959-64 to avoid integration. He was only 6 years old at the time, and the closings delayed his high-school graduation until he was 21. In addition, Townsend’s great-grandfather and two of his great-aunts were plaintiffs in the Prince Edward lawsuit that was rolled into the landmark civil rights case Brown v. Board of Education.

But there is also the time the Farmville community rallied around Townsend’s family when their home was destroyed by fire. Townsend was only in the first grade when that happened, but it is a vivid and powerful memory, as are the many educational opportunities he took advantage of in his K-12 years in the Prince Edward County schools. Then there are his years at Longwood—which he describes as “like being on a different planet” even though he never left Farmville—and his experiences with the Moton Museum.

All that said, know this: Do not disrespect Farmville or Prince Edward County when Townsend is within earshot.

“I developed a sense of pride for this community partially because of those things but also partially because I didn’t appreciate the way Prince Edward was talked about. We have a community here with a rich history, and it’s worth fighting for,” he said.

It’s natural to wonder why someone with Townsend’s ambition and abilities has not been led to opportunities on a larger stage. But Townsend will tell you that, so far, he’s found everything he was hoping for right where he’s always been. 

“There was a spell when my dream was to be Virginia’s secretary of education, and everything I was trying to do professionally was moving toward Richmond. But the more I was telling the Prince Edward story and being genuine and authentic, the more the opportunities came my way. Every time I reached a crossroads or had a doubt, all roads led me back to Farmville. I was appointed to boards. I got introduced to governors. During the Vice Presidential Debate, I had the opportunity to take Sen. Tim Kaine and then-Secretary of Education Anne Holton on a tour of campus. If I can be a conduit to people hearing about our history and if my enthusiasm is infectious, opportunities will come. I don’t have to live in Richmond,” he said.

Townsend is not dismissing the possibility of life leading him elsewhere, but for now he’s focused on the big dreams he has for the Moton Museum.

“We are currently nominated for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List, which is the highest historical designation you can achieve internationally. We should be in place to be considered when UNESCO convenes in 2027,” said Townsend. The list currently includes 1,248 cultural and natural heritage properties around the world that the World Heritage Committee considers as having outstanding universal value. In the U.S., that includes Independence Hall and Monticello. “It will bring a level of status that will significantly elevate the museum and strengthen our ability to secure grants to fund more programs and staffing,” he added.

His ultimate dream is a feature film or TV miniseries about the civil rights movement in Prince Edward County.

“I call it the Hidden Figures treatment,” he said, referring to the feature film about the Black women who made history working at NASA during the space race of the 1960s. “I want 20,000-30,000 people to be visiting here each year instead of 10,000-13,000. I want the Moton Museum to be a place where, if you are a scholar and you want to tell about the civil rights movement, at some point you need to come to Farmville. I’d like to build a research center somewhere in town that’s part archive and part research center.”

If you ask Townsend where his belief in the ability to achieve such big dreams came from, he’ll tell you that his Longwood experiences were key.

“I was national chapter president of the year for Phi Mu Delta fraternity. I was one of the first Elwood mascots. I was in Mortar Board [an honor society for upcoming leaders], and a participant in Call Me MISTER [a program for young men aspiring to be teachers.]

“Longwood taught me people skills. It taught me to advocate for something I’m passionate about. It taught me conflict resolution and to learn from others and to challenge myself. Longwood was a big part of the laboratory that taught me to leave my comfort zone. It’s the reason I am who I am today.”

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