Last Capitol
Once again we went to see the Confederacy's last capitol in Danville, Virginia. Nice little museum, pushy docent, more so than any other person my daughter had met in Virginia. She insisted that she be able to lead us on a tour, and to be polite we obliged. It was interesting but a little bit long on the accomplishments of certain local residents of the past. She would not acknowledge my low key polite asides about the racist golfer congressman, the biased judge(whose family had donated some of the historic furniture in the museum), nothing, it was just the "correct" history that mattered. Perhaps the Islamist Iranians feel the same way. She was very nice.
There was an interesting exhibit of local artwork that had been entered in a competition. It was well presented and well explained. And there was an exhibit called "Black Gold" that was meant to in some way highlight the local black community, but it featured multiple photos of segregated marching bands of the 50's, a sign for the local soul music station(WILA, or "Willy, the black spot on your dial" as the advertising jingle said in the 60's). It had a few photographs of local black citizens of the past but it made no mention of the civil rights struggles of the '60's and the leaders of all that went on at that time.
There was an interesting exhibit of local artwork that had been entered in a competition. It was well presented and well explained. And there was an exhibit called "Black Gold" that was meant to in some way highlight the local black community, but it featured multiple photos of segregated marching bands of the 50's, a sign for the local soul music station(WILA, or "Willy, the black spot on your dial" as the advertising jingle said in the 60's). It had a few photographs of local black citizens of the past but it made no mention of the civil rights struggles of the '60's and the leaders of all that went on at that time.
posted by John Borden at 11:37 PM
1 Comments:
I was wondering if the museum has ever taken on this topic? ...
AFTER THE DANVILLE RIOT; THE REIGN OF TERROR IN THE VIRGINIA TOWN. SOME HASTY TRANSACTIONS IN THE HARDWARE TRADE--THE EFFECT ON THE ELECTION--THE NEGROES SUBDUED--"WAVE YOUR BLOODY SHIRT!"
[NY Times, Nov 28, 1883]
DISPLAYING FIRST PARAGRAPH - DANVILLE, Va., Nov. 25,--When the firing in Main-street ceased, on the afternoon of Nov. 3, three black men--Ned Davis, Julius Hall, and Jere Smith-lay dead on the pavements. Peter Walters, an old colored man, who was employed on a building in course of erection about 100 yards from Ruffin, Woolfolk Blair's office, in front of which the firing ...
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