After the civil war black virginians and americans embraced new opportunities. On one hand, black lives flourished under the new promises afforded by freedom in American Society. Black people suffer from backlash from the white establishment. At the same time that we see the process, we also see regress in the form of disenfranchisement and legal s segregation in the forms of American Society. We will look at a few stories that exemplify push and pull dynamic. The section starts with reconstruction and key legislative amendments that fundamentally shape the rights of black people in america. The 13th amendment, first in 1865, which finally and definitively ended 246 years of slavery and america. It was ratified in 18 68, which guaranteed Citizenship Rights to former slaves and promised to do process and protection under the law to all americans. Its an amendment regularly cited in legal cases today. And then the 15th amendment, ratified in 1870, which gave black men the right to vote. White and black women would not gain the right to vote until 1920. With the right to vote and the access to political participation, we see black men embracing those opportunities and getting very involved and active. Peter jacob carter is one of 100 black men who served in virginias General Assembly from the end of the civil war through 1900. He was one of the longestserving representatives from Northampton County in virginia. He represents this flowering of black political activism. It was through assemblymen like Peter Jacob Carter and other black politicians that passed legislation creating a Public School system in virginia. And other measures like that. Or other objects we have related to peter jacobs story represent the activism, the eager embrace of activism by black men once they got the right to participate in politics. There is a photo here which lists the colored voters they described who are registered to vote in 1867. There is a broadside of a mass meeting of a democratic republican association, which was an alliance of black men and white Union Supporters who were advocating to give black men the right to vote. Unfortunately, as i said, the white establishment was not happy with this newfound power. All the various measures and as i said, the white newfound power and acted to limit that power. They did so through various measures measures designed to , disenfranchise black men. We see that culminate in a institution in the past 1902. Measures ofh of trying to disenfranchise black voters and black political participation. It did that primarily through a poll tax of 1. 50. Its about 40 today. Many virginians in this. Since many virginians in this since many virginians in this period could not afford that, that tax was incredibly successful at disenfranchising voters. Almost 90 of eligible black voters were disenfranchised as a result of that new state constitution. Interestingly white voters were disenfranchised at shocking rates. About 50 of eligible white voters were disenchanted disenfranchised. By that new poll tax, which is part of the 1902 state constitution. Another primary means by which the white political establishment reasserted its control, its sense of racial hierarchy was through the practice of segregation. Plessy versus ferguson in 1896, which codified into law the notion of separate but equal. You could maintain racially separate facilities as long as they were equal. It basically legalized a system of apartheid in america, whereby black people were legally separated, denied access to the same facilities as whites. Even though pluses verse ferguson was even though plessy versus ferguson was supposed to allow separate but equal facilities, the facilities for black americans were rarely equal to those of white americans. An image showing a segregated bus when people think about the world of segregation they probably cant drop images such conjure up images such as this of black people, people of color being forced to sit in the back of the bus where as white people we could sit in the front. Black people were limited in going about their daytoday lives in where they could shop, where they could sit in a movie theater, which public facilities such as pools and libraries they could use. Even which doors they could enter. Many establishments had separate doors for white and colored people. And in the exhibition we recreated this physical structure to remind people and force our visitors to think about what choice they are going to make. This was a daily reality of life under segregation in the jim crow era. On this we have a display related to the green book. The green book was a travel guide published annually by victor greene, beginning in 1936. This guidebook provided a way for black travelers, during a period which tourism and automotive travel is becoming popular across america. The green book provided black travelers a way to find businesses and establishments such as hotels, restaurants and so forth that were friendly to black visitors, that would not discriminate under jim crow segregation. Which also allowed them to determine their economic power, which businesses they were going to support with their tourist dollars. People willike encounter is and spencer, who specner, spencer, was a renowned poet and Civil Rights Activist from lynchburg, virginia, and spencer was part of the flourishing of black culture expression beginning in the 1920s. A flourishing that called the new harlem renaissance. While that phrase come the harlem renaissance, acknowledges the geographical hub of this flowering of cultural expression was in new york citys vibrant black neighborhood of harlem, anne spencer made lynchburg, virginia an important satellite of this new negro renaissance. Spencer was a poet. She first became known to other members of the new renaissance through meeting james weldon johnson. Spencer was involved in creating what was one of virginias first chapters of the naacp. She and judson became friends. Johnson read some of her poetry. Sent it back to his friends and harlem and publishing the poetry in the publication sister of the crisis. Through her poetry which is admired by her peers, spencer became good friends with many important cultural, literary and intellectual features in the middecades of the 20th century. Many of those figures visited the home she and her husband had in lynchburg. As i say her lynchburg home became an important satellite of this new renaissance. You name an important black cultural figure and a likely stay at and spencers home. And spencer was an avid gardener. She would regularly host literary conversations about culture in her home and in her garden. Some of them included w. E. B. Dubois. We have a letter from him to and spencer. They first met in 1898 and became very Close Friends. This is a letter from w. E. B. Dubois, mentioning hes a visit hes going to be making in 1934, and asking her about her famous garden. Dubois was a regular visitor. As was langston hughes, paul robison, even Martin Luther king is at her home. As i say, many key black intellectual and cultural figures of the day. And spencer. She was constantly writing, devoted to her craft. She would write verses on any available piece of paper. We call these h. E. R. Scribblings, we have several examples of her scribblings that she kept around her home. Even though and spencer anne spencer was constantly writing, she wasnt a poet who actively sought publication. Only about 30 of her poems were published during her lifetime. Generally had to be prodded into sending her poems into the injury literary journals and other publications. She was not seeking that kind of recognition. We do have an example from the lyric magazine from the virginia published literary journal. Her works are included in all the major anthologies in american and black poetry of the period. She was a Civil Rights Activist. In stopped taking the bus lynchburg to protest segregated busing. Notorious a somewhat figure around town. She would walk everywhere or try to hitch rides on farmers wagons and so forth, something that was considered inappropriate for a respectable lady in that day. She also worked as a librarian for 20 years in lynchburgs segregated high school. It was through her activism she was able to obtain resources to find books, make books available to black students, the types of resources we otherwise would not have had without her advocacy for black educational development, particularly encouraging literary interests of her black students. Another key figure visitors will is givings. At the outset of world war ii, in institutions like many across the united states, they were segregated. In addition to them having to serve in separate they were units often relegated to the , most menial tasks and they were denied leadership opportunities. As black activists started fighting against those kinds of restrictions, started demanding new opportunities in the u. S. Military, the u. S. Army, which at the time controlled the air force, agreed to create the Tuskegee Program to train black pilots to fly. And givings is one of nearly 1000 pilots who earned his wings through that Tuskegee Airmen program. World war ii really crystallized many of the contradictions of American Society for black americans during that period. On one hand, black men and women were asked to serve their entry to fight totalitarian regimes such as nazis abroad, yet at the same time they were being oppressed. World war ii spurred black activism, particularly in the form of what was called the duck the double victory campaign, where black americans and their allies were fighting for two victories. Victory abroad and also victory at home, victory against jim crow segregation. The tuskegee pilots were important pioneers in starting to change Public Attitudes about not only the accomplishments of black servicemen and women. Also the inequities they faced in American Society. Clemenceau givings made the ultimate sacrifice. He was killed while flying his plane over the coast of italy in 1944 during his world war ii service. We have his Tuskegee Airmen patch, showing the crest of the Tuskegee Airmen, which is a black panther spitting out flames, as their motto says, spitfire. We had this poignant document, which is a Western Union telegram sent to his family, notifying them of his death in 1944. We have other items that belong to Tuskegee Airmen, including a flight helmet with goggles. Also a bomber jacket. Whats really charming about this jacket is you see his personalized patch, which shows bugs bunny reclining on a missile with the phrase whats up doc, so the suggestion is that this was going to be dropped on the germans are one or one of americas other enemies with bugs bunny sending it along its way, and that is marked with thomass name. Sacrifices that black servicemen and women have made in all of the american words, going back to the american revolution. Airmen helpskegee to shift Public Opinion about the abilities, accomplishments and skill of black servicemen and women in the military. We are now in the final chronological gallery of determined. This section explores black history from 1950, the beginning of the modern Civil Rights Movements up through the present day. Looks back looks at not only the phenomenal progress that American Society has made towards racial equality as a result of the Civil Rights Movement and some of the key legislation that was made in the 1960s. In all avenues of modern life once the various barriers have been broken down. We are at a moment where they made progress on the past. We are still a nation that struggles with race. The section opens up with the modern Civil Rights Movement. Its represented by two characters who represent two key elements of what was abroad a broad multifaceted fight for civil rights in the 50s and 60s. The first character is Barbara Johns powell, who as a High School Student named Barbara Johns led a strike of students in 1950 in her segregated high school in farmville virginia. And she led this protest against inadequate conditions of her high school. Segregation allowed for the maintenance of several facilities. Separate facilities including schools for blackandwhite students. Hadrally, black students much poorer facilities than their white counterparts. Barbara johns got sick of that. She led a student protest that ultimately linked her schools case to the larger case of School Desegregation, which was a landmark u. S. Supreme Court Decision in 1954. It basically overturned that earlier decision of Plessy V Ferguson and mandated the integration of black and white schools. It is a decision that recognized that separate was inherently unequal. The it wasnt kind of a one and done. Virginia and many other started many other Southern States that were deeply resistant to integrating Public Schools let a led a campaign of massive resistance to try to resist that federal mandate to integrate schools. It was manifest in various ways, including the closure of schools in some counties of virginia. Closure of schools in some counties of virginia. Theres a photograph showing students protesting the fact that they had to lose four years of schools because the schools were closed rather than being integrated. The story of the fight for School Desegregation underscores what was one important asset of the Civil Rights Movement, and that is to fight for legal dismantling of jim crow laws. Virginia was a major battleground in that legal fight. The naacp, which often led and pioneered these legal cases filed more lawsuits in virginia over the issue School Desegregation more than any other state in the country. One of those naacp lawyers was oliver hill. We have a document, which is a Financial Accounting of his law firm of the expenses related to the brown v. Board of education fight. Another key strain of the Civil Rights Movement is the movement to change Public Opinions. And to advocate for civil rights broadly across society rather than trying to dismantle segregation on a gradual basis through the courts. That movement is represented by dr. Walker, who is not well known, who is a key leading figure of the Civil Rights Movement of the early 1960s. He began his Civil Rights Activism in virginia. Her walker, he organized a range walker, he organized a range of nonviolent protests of nonviolent segregation. He led marches against segregated swimming pools. He led a demonstration and a at a public library, and other kinds of organizing activities to protest segregation. Regarding his library demonstration, and other Civil Rights Activists went to the they went to the whites only section of the Petersburg Public Library in 1951. And he tried to check out the biography of the confederate general robert e lee. It shows an amazing amount of cheek and wit. And for trying to use the whites only section of the library, Wyatt T Walker had the police called. He was arrested. His first of 17 arrests over the course of his career as a Civil Rights Activists. Thats one of the items we have on view in the exhibition. Wyatt t walker became very Close Friends with dr. Martin luther king jr. They first met at an interseminary conference in the early 1950s. Walker became kings righthand man. They found the christian southern leadership conference. And organize many of them nonviolent mass protest activities that mark the Civil Rights Movements of the 1960s. Martin luther king referred to walker as the cleanest mind. Including the Birmingham Campaign of 1963 and the march on washington. We have an early letter from Martin Luther king to white t walker. It is dated december 3, 1968. March against segregated schools it is referencing a that walker march was organizing here in richmond. Its signed mike. Only dr. Martin luther kings closest friends referred to him as mike. Thats a powerful indication of how close their friendship was. We also have its very humble looking but its a powerful artifact, this aluminum cup. A freedom cup. This belonged to teresa walker, who was a fellow Civil Rights Activist. This is an important reminder of the role women played in Civil Rights Movement. Teresa wyatt got this cup when she was imprisoned in jackson , mississippi, in june of 1961, after taking one of the freedom rides. Those were the rides organized by Civil Rights Activists, both white and black activists, who wanted to test southern compliance with federal mandates against segregated busing and interstate bus travel. Groups of freedom writers would take long bus journeys into the deep south to see if they would be allowed regardless of race to go into the same waiting rooms and so forth, even though federal law mandated that. Even though federal law mandated that. The freedom writers were generally met by violence, intimidation and often imprisonment. Teresa walker was arrested. This is a cup she used during her imprisonment. We have other items related to other protest activities, which includes this lunch counter stool, which came from the Richmond Woolworths branch. It was a site of one of the many students sitins that were held around the country in the 1960s, protesting segregated lunch service. These are the kinds of protests that were designed to underscore the inequities of segregation, to underscore the daily billy bush and that the daily humiliation that black people faced. These activities were intended to change Public Opinion as news outlets across the country and across the world were covering things like student citizens, sitins, covering peaceful protest marches that were met by police wielding highpowered fire hoses. Against protesters. Those are images that shocked a nation and forced a reckoning of the status quo of segregation in america. We have several documents published by various civil Rights Groups such as the naacp. Racialhe congress of equality, promoting these various forms of nonviolent activism. Many of these Civil Rights Activities, even though they involve many different groups and networks of activists at local, state, national levels, many of these activities culminated in the 1960s in key legislative actions that broke down the system of legalized segregation and guaranteed equal rights to americans regardless of race. Many of these also extended not only to race but also to gender, age, and religion. And a couple of these key legislative moments we outline in the exhibition, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights act of 1965, which broke down and banished the use of poll taxes, understanding clauses and so forth. These were so effective in disenfranchising black voters. Also the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which banned discrimination in the sale and rental of housing. As you move throughout the rest of the exhibition from this post 1960s period, you see how the Civil Rights Movement really paved the way for black people to break the color line in all arenas of American Life. We have figures that showcase the remarkable accomplishments and contributions that black people have made in the sciences and the cultural field and professional athletics. Arthur ashe represents one of those figures who broke the color line in mens professional tennis. This pioneering tennis player is also a great champion of human rights throughout the world. A couple of the items related to him include a tennis ball that a fan had him sign. For arthur ashe, a richmond native, who grew up being banned from certain segregated courts in tennis to make it to the International Sports arena and also to be selected as a representative for the u. S. Team on the davis cup was incredibly significant to him. Another figure that showcases the Great Strides black virginians have made in various arenas of American Life is doug wilder, who represents Many Political firsts for a black virginian over the course of his long political career. Doug wilder made many firsts, including when he won a seat of a seat on virginias state assembly in 1969, becoming the first black politician to do so since the 19th century. Quite a remarkable achievement given how effectively black people had been disenfranchised in virginia for much of the 20th century. Firsts wasers other becoming the first black elected governor by any u. S. State when wilder won virginias Gubernatorial Race in 1990. He entered many of these political victories through building a Wide Coalition across racial lines. Wilder always said he wanted to be judged by his achievements, by his positions, not by the color of his skin. It was that kind of Coalition Building that served as a model for other politicians, including president barack obama. Virginia was instrumental in his president ial victory, in 2008 and 2012. That was the moment when virginia, after decades of voting for republican president ial candidates turned from red to blue voted for a democratic candidate. And again, became instrumental in electing the nations first black president. After looking at these various fears of achievement, the exhibition brings us up to the present day and explores recent issues and activism around racial problems in this country. We have a section that explores the events in charlottesville in the summer of 2017 and the rise of white supremacism. And new forms of black activism. In the form of the black lives Matter Movement and other types is ivism come activism that of activism, activism is designed to combat systemic racism and longstanding patterns of discrimination and also persistent forms of socioeconomic disparities between white people and people of color. Themately, our goal for exhibition is to not only showcase the remarkable stories from across 400 years of black history, but also to give visitors a deeper appreciation for the determination, the persistence, the resilience of black people as they have fought for equality across these 400 years. We hope visitors walk away inspired by the stories they have encountered. There is a lot of pain, a lot of horror in our nations history. Some of the 30 figures featured in the exhibition, i hope, motivate and inspire visitors with their stories of sometimes success, sometimes failure, but their willingness to fight against sometimes very unfavorable odds. I also hope by exploring the legacy of 1619, which is the beginning of slavery in british north america, and tracing it across over two centuries of slavery through emancipation, segregation, victories of the Civil Rights Movement. Looking at that long legacy, visitors gain a deeper appreciation for the roots of some of our presentday problems, so they know how we got here and are inspired to make changes for the future. This is the second of a twopart tour of the Virginia Museum of history and cultures exhibit on 400 years of africanAmerican History. You can watch part one and other American History tv programs on cspan. Org history. Cspan is exploring history. Next, a look at a recent visit zeman, montana. Southwest montana is defined by all of the rivers that flow through this area. The three forks area is an important area