Category: History
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Southside Virginia Civil Rights History: 1960 Danville Library Sit-In (Pt. 2)
This is part two of a post on the 1960 Danville, Virginia, library sit-in. See part one here. This post traces how Confederate memory in Danville played a large role in suppressing civil rights in the city. Image: Young, Cassye. “The Memorial Mansion as Jefferson Davis Saw It.” Pamphlet. Danville, VA, 1955. Small Special Collection,…
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Southside Virginia Civil Rights History: 1960 Danville Library Sit-In (Pt. 1)
Today’s post marks the first of a series adapted from my public history MA thesis and Ph.D. dissertation on the history of the civil rights movement in Southside Virginia. Sixty-two years ago today, sixteen Black high school students challenged segregation at what was then known as the Confederate Memorial Library (now the Danville Museum of…
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Black History Month book recommendations
February is Black History Month, and its origins date back to the second week of February in particular. African-American scholar Dr. Carter G. Woodson founded what was then called “Negro History Week” in February 1926, which he selected to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. At that time, public schools did…
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History United Event – Talk by Dr. Ed Ayers
Having been in education for the past 6 years, every May I find myself contemplating what to do with the 2-3ish months I have “off.” In summer, I typically have lots of unstructured time. This summer in particular, I wanted to make sure I didn’t waste this time. Luckily, I secured an internship at my…
Emily Martin Cochran 