Resources - 20th-Century Virginia

The history of Virginia in the 20th century includes many different stories – some of economic opportunity and growth and others of struggle against discrimination and poverty. Much of this history is connected to the fight for equal rights. When we think of civil rights, we often think of Supreme Court cases, marches, and legislation. These are all vital to understanding Virginia in the 20th century, but they do not tell us about the daily lives of people living during this time. How were people affected by changes in the economy, by discrimination, or by civil rights legislation?

This photo of African American students boarding a Prince Edward County school bus was taken in 1964, a significant date in the history of Virginia in the 20th century. In 1959, Prince Edward County closed the school district rather than integrate, denying non-white students access to public education for five years.

Objects such as segregated drinking fountains or this school bus offer a window into the ways people encountered – and at times resisted – economic change and discrimination in their daily lives. Many of us have some memory of riding the bus to school each day, but we don’t often think of what it meant for students forced to ride long distances to attend segregated schools, or the contentious fights over busing in the 1970s.

Access to equal education was a focal point for civil rights activists, in part because it provided opportunities for economic and social gain. The closing of Prince Edward County’s schools became a national symbol of racial discrimination. This image represents one moment in the ongoing struggle for economic, political, and social change throughout the 20th century. Keep the school bus in mind as you examine the material culture, images, and documents that reveal more about Virginia in the 20th century.