Farmville 1963 civil rights protests
Collection of images of school desegregation protests in Farmville, Virginia, the county seat of Prince Edward County.
More About This Collection
Date of Original
1959/1969
Subject
Civil rights demonstrations--Virginia--Farmville
Civil rights movements--Virginia--Farmville
African Americans--Civil rights--Virginia--Farmville
African Americans--Segregation--Virginia--Farmville
Segregation in education--Virginia--Prince Edward County
Farmville (Va.)--Race relations
Prince Edward County (Va.)--Race relations
Location
United States, Virginia, Prince Edward County, Farmville, 37.3021, -78.39194
Medium
photographs
Type
StillImage
Description
Collection of images of school desegregation protests in Farmville, Virginia, the county seat of Prince Edward County. The protesters, comprised of African American high school-age students and others, demanded that local and state authorities eliminate racial segregation in public facilities and reopen the public schools in Prince Edward County, which had been closed since 1959 to avoid integration.
The protests were organized and led by the Rev. L. Francis Griffin, pastor of First Baptist Church in Farmville. They called their summer of protests a "Program of Action." With the help of members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and others, Griffin trained the students in nonviolent protest. Richmond lawyers Samuel Tucker and Henry Marsh advised the students on how to conduct themselves with law enforcement officials. Many were arrested during the course of the summer.
Civil unrest in Farmville began in late July and continued through September. Protests varied from day to day, week to week, and included sit-ins at segregated lunch counters, picketing segregated businesses, marches that blocked traffic, and other forms of civil disobedience. A large portion of the images show protesters trying in vain to purchase tickets at the segregated movie theater, then picketing the theater. On one Sunday, the protesters participated in a "church-in," during which African-Americans tried to integrate four white churches in Farmville with mixed success.
Many of these activities are documented in this collection of images. A large number of the original black and white photographs were taken by J.D. Crute, an amateur photographer hired by the Farmville Police Department, under the supervision of Police Chief Otto Smith Overton, who served 42 years before retiring in 1996. These photographs were intended to be used in court proceedings as evidence against any protesters who were arrested. Currently the originals are in a private collection.
Language
eng
Contributing Institution
James Branch Cabell Library. Special Collections and Archives
Search Results
2. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #126
3. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #127
4. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #128
5. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #129
6. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #130
7. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #131
8. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #132
9. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #133
10. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #134
11. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #135
12. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #136
13. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #137
14. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #138
15. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #139
16. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #140
17. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #141
18. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #142
19. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #143
20. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #144
21. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #145
22. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #146
23. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #147
24. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #148
25. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #149
26. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #150
27. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #151
28. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #152
29. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #153
30. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #154
31. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #156
32. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #157
33. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #158
34. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #159
35. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #038
36. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #039
37. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #040
38. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #041
39. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #042
40. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #043
41. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #044
42. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #045
43. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #046
44. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #047
45. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #048
46. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #049
47. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #050
48. Student protesters outside State Theater, Farmville, Va., August 1963, #051
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