A Production of the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society.
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In honor of black history month, "The Harrisonburg-Rockingham Experience: African American Education During Segregation" was displayed simultaneously with "Jackson Davis and Jim Crow Education in the Rural South" a traveling exhibit produced by the Special Collection of the University of Virginia Library. ("The Jackson Davis Collection of African-American Educational Photographs" can be seen online at http://www.lib.virginia.edu/speccol/jdavis/.) What began as an attempt to display a few local photos with the Jackson Davis Collection turned into a rich scrapbook, telling a story all its own. This exhibit on local African-American education during the segregation period was produced and exhibited by the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society in February 2001 at the Shenandoah Valley Folk and Heritage Center in Dayton, Virginia.

The "Jim Crow" period of segregation, during which time the black and white races existed in "separate but equal" worlds, began shortly after the Civil War and existed until the civil rights movement accomplished integration. The photo collection we have assembled attempts to show the triumphs, heros and heartbreaks of our local African-American community through that era.

This display would not have been possible without the numerous people who loaned precious photographs and documents. A special thanks to Lowell and Ruth Toliver for their many hours of visiting with area residents, hearing their stories, gathering items and providing vital information.

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Ruth Toliver (left) and Carlotta Harris (right) enjoy the pair of temporary exhibits currently on display.