VMHC Partners with the Commonwealth of Virginia to Distribute New Publication on Black History in Virginia to Schools and Libraries Across the State

Richmond, VA – The Virginia Museum of History & Culture (VMHC) is pleased to announce their newest publication, Determined: The 400-Year Struggle for Black Equality, and plans to make this new resource widely available to Virginians. Governor Ralph Northam announced today that the Commonwealth will partner and work with the Museum to provide a copy of Determined to every high school, middle school, and library in Virginia to be sure this important history will be shared with all.

Determined builds on the museum’s groundbreaking exhibition mounted as part of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s 2019 Commemoration. The book follows the form and themes of the exhibition, and it includes a wealth of expanded content for readers. It addresses the need for a greater understanding of systemic racism in America through a concise and accessible survey of Black history in Virginia, from the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in 1619 to the groundswell of racial justice protests in 2020. Highlighting key individuals and events, this lavishly illustrated story showcases the profound impact that the fight for Black equality has had on our nation and its democratic ideals.

            “We felt the need to create this book to expand on the stories introduced in the exhibition and make them available for a larger audience,” said VMHC Curator and author of the book Dr. Karen Sherry. “In the past year, the dual crises of the COVID-19 pandemic and the protests that arose owing to the death of George Floyd brought us to a point of a national reckoning on race. The VMHC felt that this publication could help foster a greater understanding of past racial inequities and open new lines of communication. The museum is uniquely situated to play a role in these conversations. Not only is the museum one of the oldest historical institutions in this nation, it is the institution responsible for collecting, preserving, and interpreting Virginia’s long and complex story.”

Dr. Grady Powell, longtime Civil Rights activist, former Pastor of Gillfield Baptist Church, the oldest Black church in Virginia, and former Trustee of the museum, authored the forward of the book. “In this book, the Virginia Museum of History & Culture illuminates the past, sees the images, and hears the stories and sounds,” said Dr. Powell. “As one who has lived for more than three-quarters of a century I can assure readers that this expansive work will help to fill those missing pages in the schoolbooks of my youth. I see this book as a luminous and prophetic lighthouse for present and future generations. The content brings light to the stormy and treacherous seas of America’s original sin with historical honesty.”

Determined: The 400-Year Struggle for Black Equality is available for purchase from the museum’s store at ShopVirginiaHistory.org.

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The Virginia Museum of History & Culture is owned and operated by the Virginia Historical Society — a private, non-profit organization established in 1831. The historical society is the oldest cultural organization in Virginia, and one of the oldest and most distinguished history organizations in the nation. For use in its state history museum and its renowned research library, the historical society cares for a collection of nearly nine million items representing the ever-evolving story of Virginia.

The Virginia Museum of History & Culture is located at 428 N Arthur Ashe Boulevard in Richmond’s Museum District. For more information call 804.340.1800, visit VirginiaHistory.org, or connect on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.                                             

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