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VBHA Collections

This guide provides researchers with an overview of the nearly 50 manuscript collections that make up the Virginia Black History Archives project. These materials are housed in Special Collections and Archives. Each entry below provides a brief description of the collection. Links to the finding aid of many of the collections are also provided. These finding aids are the result of VIVA's Virginia Heritage Project.

Several of the collections have been digitized and are accessible through our web site or on CD-ROM. Please email Special Collections and Archives to make arrangements to view materials on CD-ROM or if you have questions or comments.

Oliver Hill elected to Richmond's City Council on Sept.7, 1948. Image appeared in Life Magazine, 9/27/48

This photo in Life Magazine shows Oliver Hill (1907-2007) during the swearing-in ceremony of Richmond's newly elected City Council, September 7, 1948. Hill, a Richmond lawyer and member of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, was the first African American to be elected to Richmond's City Council in 52 years. His election was partly the result of the Richmond Citizens Association. The VBHA includes a collection of their materials -- one of nearly 50 collections documenting African American history in the Central Virginia Area.

  • Astoria Beneficial Club/Richmond Beneficial Insurance Archives, 1906-1947, M 311 -- The Astoria Beneficial Club was established as an African-American social club in Richmond, Virginia in 1901 but eventually became a beneficial club that paid out sick dues and burial benefits to its members. Astoria donated money to organizations that benefitted the community, including the NAACP and the local "Colored" YMCA, and to individuals in need. The Club also set up scholarships at Virginia Union University and honored individuals and businesses in the area for their community service. The Astoria Beneficial Club is still active in Richmond. The collection includes minutes, correspondence and other materials covering the years 1901-1947 and is housed in Special Collections and Archives. The finding aid can be accessed above.
  • Helen Baker Papers, 1950-1967, M 182 -- Helen Baker (1906-1966?) was a Virginia educator and was active in political and social causes, including the Prince Edward County School conflict, 1960-1963. In 1963, she organized the Metropolitan Washington Housing Project. Collection consists of photocopies of correspondence and papers related to her life. The collection is housed in Special Collections and Archives. The guide to the collection can be accessed from the link above.
  • Bank Street Memorial Baptist Church, Norfolk, Virginia Collection, 1883-1990 -- The Bank Street Memorial Baptist Church (formerly the African Baptist Meeting House and later the Bell Church) traces its roots back to a white Baptist church established in Norfolk early in the 19th century. The collection was digitized (the original materials returned to the church) and includes church minutes, photographs, newspaper clippings, and other church records spanning the years 1883 through 1990. The collection is available on CD-ROM in Special Collections and Archives. Please email Special Collections and Archives to make arrangements to view materials on CD-ROM.
  • Joseph B. Benedetti Papers, n.d., 1981-1990s, M 227 -- Joseph B. Benedetti was a state delegate and state senator in Virginia's General Assembly representing parts of the Richmond metropolitan area. The collection, covering the years 1980s-1990s, consists largely of printed information and correspondence from special interests and constituents concerning a variety of issues. It also includes newspapers clippings, reports, and information on Richmond and Virginia agencies and civic organizations. The collection is housed in Special Collections and Archives.
  • "Black Richmonders' Experience with School Segregation and Desegregation: An Oral History of Education Project at Virginia Commonwealth University" -- Transcripts of fourteen oral history interviews with Richmond area residents discussing their experiences with educational segregation and integration. Participants included college professors, former teachers and students. Interviews were conducted in 1992 by VCU students. The transcripts can be accessed from the link above.
  • Andrew J. Brent Papers, n.d., 1960-1988, M 281 -- The collection, donated by Andrew J. Brent, a Richmond lawyer, consists of documents concerning Downtown Development Unlimited and Project One, Henrico County Annexation, Richmond Professional Institute Foundation, RMA, Richmond Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Metropolitan Committee. The collection dates from the early 1960s through the early 1980s. The collection is housed in Special Collections and Archives.
  • John M. Brooks NAACP Collection, 1957-1978, M 296 -- Brooks, one of the founders of the Richmond Crusade for Voters, worked as the national director of the voter registration effort for the NAACP from 1956-1958. The material in the collection focus primarily on Brooks' work in the South and includes reports, correspondence, memoranda (1956-58), newspaper clippings, and a few issues of The Candle, the Virginia State Conference-NAACP Newsletter. The collection is housed in Special Collections and Archives. The finding aid is available from the link above.
  • Collie Burton Papers, n.d., 1965-1977, M 267 -- Collie Burton held numerous civic positions in Richmond. The collection includes articles, correspondence and publications on various issues. The bulk of the material details the lawsuits against the FCC and Richmond area radio and television stations initiated by the Black Broadcasting Coalition (BBC) in the early 1970s. The collection is housed in Special Collections and Archives.
  • Howard H. Carwile Papers, 1940s-1979, M 294 -- Howard H. Carwile (1911-1987) was a populist Richmond City councilman and state legislator. A white lawyer who defended blacks in segregated Richmond of the 1940s-1960s, he ran for local, state and national offices nearly 30 times. The collection includes 25 scrapbooks (1940-1971) documenting his career and his political campaigns and audio tapes of 327 of Carwile's 15 minute Richmond radio commentary broadcasts (1967-1979) with an index of issues addressed by Carwile. The collection is housed in Special Collections and Archives.
  • Samuel Francis Coppage Papers, 1920s-1980s -- Dr. Samuel F. Coppage, a dentist who practiced in Norfolk, Virginia, graduated from Howard University in 1912 and began his professional career in 1914. He was an advocate of civil rights for African-Americans and a leader in numerous local and state organizations. The collection includes correspondence, minutes, memoranda, programs covering his civic and professional activities in Norfolk. Materials range from the 1920s to the 1970s. The collection was digitally scanned and is available on CD-ROM in Special Collections and Archives. Please email Special Collections and Archives to make arrangements to view materials on CD-ROM.
  • Virginia Crockford Papers, n.d., 1958-1980, M 283 -- This collection consists primarily of correspondence and reports concerning Virginia Crockford's activities as chair of the Richmond School Board. Information on the desegregation of Richmond schools, busing for integration, consolidation of Richmond area school districts, and sex education in the public schools. The collection is housed in Special Collections and Archives.
  • Horace H. Edwards Papers, n.d., 1941-1977, M 246 -- Horace H. Edwards (1902-1987) was active in Richmond city politics for over 40 years, including service as mayor, city manager and special counsel for the city in its annexation suit against Chesterfield County. The bulk of the collection dates from the 1950s through the mid 1970s and includes correspondence, reports, files and published materials. The collection is housed in Special Collections and Archives.
  • Hermanze Fauntleroy Papers -- Hermanze Fauntleroy was the first African American mayor of Petersburg, Virginia. The collection includes scrapbooks (with newspaper clippings), pamphlets, and other materials. The collection was digitally scanned and is available on CD-ROM in Special Collections and Archives. Please email Special Collections and Archives to make arrangements to view materials on CD-ROM.
  • Fourth Baptist Church, Richmond, Virginia Minutes Collection, 1880-1958 -- As with a number of African American churches, the Fourth Baptist Church congregation began before 1861 [in 1857] as a regular assembly of slaves for prayer. It was formally organized in 1865. The congregation eventually settled in Richmond's Church Hill neighborhood where it continues to meet in a building first constructed in 1885. The collection of church minutes include material about the financial operation of the church (including various lists of back debts, dues collected, pledge sheets and numerous reports); membership requests; baptism names and dates; notices of deaths or those ill; election of deacons and appointments of ministers and other church officials; lists of dismissals for various church offenses (from fornication and lying to "Sabbath breaking" and dancing); and information about various church renovations. The collection is available on CD-ROM in Special Collections and Archives. Please email Special Collections and Archives to make arrangements to view materials on CD-ROM.
  • Gillfield Baptist Church Petersburg, Virginia Minutes Collection, 1815-1827, 1868-1871, 1888-1897 -- Gillfield Baptist Church, Petersburg, Virginia, established in 1797, is the second oldest African-American congregation in Petersburg and one of the oldest in the country -- The collection of church minutes presented here include material about the financial operation of the church, numerous reports, membership lists; baptism names and dates; notices of deaths or those ill; election of deacons and appointments of ministers and other church officials; lists of dismissals for church offenses. The minutes of Gillfield Baptist Church, Petersburg, Virginia were borrowed from the church and digitally scanned in the early 1990s. The collection can be accessed from the link above. The collection is available on CD-ROM in Special Collections and Archives. Please email Special Collections and Archives to make arrangements to view materials on CD-ROM.
  • Harland Bartholomew and Associates Archives, n.d., 1961-1974, M 244 -- The collection contains federal applications for redevelopment loans and grants, project reports and plans, and published reports on various areas of Richmond. Includes scrapbooks of newspaper articles focusing on urban renewal. The collection is housed in Special Collections and Archives.
  • George Stevenson Kemp Papers, 1965-1984, M 240 -- George Stevenson (Steve) Kemp, Jr. (1916-1986) was a member of the Richmond City Council in the early 1980s. The collection includes Mr. Kemp's working papers, correspondence, files and reports relating to the City of Richmond (1961-1986). The bulk of the materials focus on the years Mr. Kemp was active in the Richmond City Council (1980-1984). The collection is housed in Special Collections and Archives.
  • Heslip M. "Happy" Lee Papers, M 322 -- Through his ministry and work as Executive Director of the Virginia Council on Human Relations (VCHR) , Rev. Lee was a leading advocate for social and political change in Virginia during the years 1960-1964. His papers document not only his and the VCHR's activities but also the work and struggles of numerous other like-minded individuals interested in improving race relations in Virginia. The collection reflects all aspects of his long career including his work in North Carolina and Georgia. The materials in the collection include correspondence, reports, publications, newspaper clippings, photographs, and other items dating from the 1950s through the 1990s.
  • Mary Tyler Freeman Cheek McClenahan Papers, 1933-1999, M 302 -- Mary Tyler Freeman Cheek McClenahan (1917-2005) was a Richmond community leader, activist and philanthropist. She has been described as the "conscience of Richmond" for her contributions to the Richmond community in the areas of racial harmony, housing, education, Richmond revitalization, and historic preservation. She has also been active in the arts, her church, and education. The bulk of the collection dates from the late 1970s through the 1990s and focuses on her involvement in a number of Richmond's major civic organizations, including Planned Parenthood, the Richmond Better Housing Coalition, Richmond-On-The-James, Richmond Renaissance and the Richmond Urban Forum. The collection is housed in Special Collections and Archives.
  • Metropolitan Economic Development Council Archives, n.d., 1977-1989, M 270 -- The Metropolitan Economic Development Council (MEDC) was formed in as a way to attract companies to the Richmond area. Collection includes correspondence with various company personnel, publicity for area companies and advertising -- all dating from the late 1970s through 1989. The collection is housed in Special Collections and Archives.
  • Old Dominion Bar Association Collection, 1940s-1960s -- The Old Dominion Bar Association is the oldest African American legal association in Virginia. The collection, loaned to the library by Richmond civil rights lawyer Oliver Hill, includes correspondence, reports, newspaper clippings and minutes. The collection was digitally scanned and is available on CD-ROM in Special Collections and Archives.
  • Old Dominion Dental Society Collection, 1936-1983 -- Founded in 1917, the Old Dominion Dental Society's collection includes digitized images of ledger of minutes of the society (1936-1972), minutes of the conventions (1972-1983), some committee reports, and three issues of the Bulletin. The collection is available on CD-ROM in Special Collections and Archives. Please email Special Collections and Archives to make arrangements to view materials on CD-ROM.
  • Omega Psi Phi - Third District Chapter - Archives -- The collection contains the archives of the Third District Chapter and includes fraternity newsletters, correspondence, minutes, reports, pamphlets, and other materials dating from the 1930s-1980s. The collection is available on CD-ROM in Special Collections and Archives. Please email Special Collections and Archives to make arrangements to view materials on CD-ROM.
  • Edward H. Peeples, Jr. Papers, n.d., 1946-1999, M 68 -- This collection consists primarily of materials on race relations in Virginia and the United States collected by Dr. Edward H. Peeples, Jr., Emeritus professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. Peeples interest in these topics began in the late 1950s while he was a student at Richmond Professional Institute (now VCU) and includes research material on the Prince Edward County, Virginia school desegregation issue of the late 1950s/early 1960s. The collection spans four decades and includes numerous published articles, correspondence, reports and other materials focusing on Virginia race relations and other topics of social concern spanning four decades. The collection is housed in Special Collections and Archives. An online web exhibit of materials concerning Prince Edward County, Virginia, with images and reports documenting the disparity between black and white schools in that county, can be accessed here: Separate But Not Equal: Race, Education, and Prince Edward County, Virginia -- this site was created and is maintained by Special Collections and Archives.
  • Richmond Annexation Files Collection, 1942-1976, M183 -- These materials are from the files of Venable Cabell, lawyer for Curtis Holt, who filed suit against the City of Richmond in the early 1970s when the city tried to annex a large area of Chesterfield County in what many thought was an effort to dilute the vote of Richmond's African Americans. The collection consists of court notes and briefs, Richmond City Master Plans, financial reports, School Board budgets and reports and papers documenting the annexation controversies of the 1970s of the City of Richmond. The collection is housed in Special Collections and Archives.
  • Richmond Citizens Association Inc. Collection, n.d., 1945-1950, M 252 -- The collection consists of publications, reports, roster and related materials of the Richmond Citizens Association, Inc. whose efforts at reform of its city council system led indirectly to helping the election in 1948 of its first African American city council member in the twentieth century, civil rights attorney Oliver Hill. The collection, consisting of only about 15 items, was donated by Robert Wilson and is housed in Special Collections and Archives.
  • Richmond's Church Hill Oral History Collection -- This collection consists of transcripts of 35 oral history interviews conducted in 1982 that were part of a project to document the history of Richmond's historic Church Hill neighborhood. Sponsored by the Historic Richmond Foundation through a grant from the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, the interviews were with former and current residents of Church Hill. Participants range from community leaders, including L. Douglas Wilder and Henry Marsh, to individuals born at the turn of the last century. The transcripts of all the interviews are available from the link above.
  • Richmond Crusade for Voters Collection, n.d., 1953-1995, M 306 -- Founded in 1956, the Richmond Crusade for Voters have sought to increase the influence of African-Americans in the political process in Richmond, Virginia. Its goals have included increased voter registration among blacks, endorsement of candidates favoring programs of benefit to the African-American community, and to increase voter turnout. The collection was begun in 1995 by William Armstead Thorton, historian for the Crusade. It includes photocopies of minutes, correspondence, historian's reports, newsletters, newspaper clippings (dating from the 1950s until 1995), campaign flyers for various candidates, financial reports and other materials. The date range of the collection, from the early 1950s until the mid 1990s. The collection is housed in Special Collections and Archives. The finding aid is available from the link above.
  • Richmond First Club Archives, 1919-1990s, M 238 -- Organized in 1919, the Richmond First Club is a non-partisan civic organization. It engages in studies of the city's government and offers suggestions for improvements. The collection consists of administrative files, correspondence, reports, memoranda, committee files, publications, audiotapes, photographs and newspaper clippings about the Club's activities or interests. The materials encompass the years 1919-1990s, but are concentrated in the period from the mid 1970s through the present. The collection is housed in Special Collections and Archives. The guide to the collection is available from the link above.
  • Richmond Forward Scrapbooks Collection (1964, 1968) M 287 -- Two scrapbooks of newspaper articles and campaign materials of and about Richmond Forward, an organization founded in 1964 by Richmond business leaders that promoted a slate of candidates for Richmond's city council. The collection is housed in Special Collections and Archives.
  • Richmond Renaissance Archives, n.d., 1980-1995, M 303 -- Richmond Renaissance Inc. is a non-profit,public-private corporation formed in 1981 to foster economic development in downtown Richmond. Its first major project was the 6th Street Marketplace, which opened in 1985. Revitalization of Richmond's historic Jackson Ward neighborhood and improvements to the city's downtown riverfront property were two other major initiatives in which Richmond Renaissance has played an active role. Richmond Renaissance has been involved with other projects, including the Jackson Center office building, the Belle Isle pedestrian bridge and Canal Walk, increased downtown parking, the Cultural Link Trolley Project, the Broad Street Task Force and numerous other efforts to foster economic development The collection includes correspondence, minutes, newspaper and journal clippings, various publications, reports, photographs, slides, architectural plans, and various promotional materials dating from 1980 through 1995. The collection is housed in Special Collections and Archives.
  • Richmond Urban Institute Archives, 1979-1986, M 258 -- The Richmond Urban Institute was created in 1979 to address problems in the city of Richmond in an effort to bring about a "more unified and just city." The collection is composed of correspondence, reports, and publications, including files on specific issues - include notes, articles, and publications gathered to inform individuals and committees which addressed these needs. The collection is housed in Special Collections and Archives.
  • Richmond YWCA Archives, n.d., 1893-1980, M 177 -- The collection consists of general files, committee minutes of the Richmond YWCA. Materials in the collection include scrapbooks, photographs and social work case studies from of both white and African American women. Materials from the local Richmond Phyllis Wheatly Branch for black women are also included in the collection. The collection is housed in Special Collections and Archives.
  • William Ferguson Reid Papers, 1960s-1970s -- Reid, a physician and one of the founders of the Richmond Crusade for Voters, was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1966, becoming the first African-American to serve in the Virginia General Assembly since Reconstruction. He left the legislature in 1972. The collection consists primarily of scrapbooks that include correspondence, pamphlets, campaign materials, photographs, and clippings. The collection was digitally scanned and is available on CD-ROM in Special Collections and Archives. Please email Special Collections and Archives to make arrangements to view materials on CD-ROM.
  • Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church Collection, M 57 -- Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church of Richmond, Virginia, located in Richmond's Jackson Ward neighborhood, was organized on September 3, 1867 by the renowned Reverend John Jasper and ten close associates. The collection consists of an assortment of historical documents, programs, photographs, brochures and clippings concerning the church, its pastors and Jackson Ward. The collection is housed in Special Collections and Archives. An online web exhibit that focuses on the history of the church was created and is maintainted by Special Collections and Archives.
  • Eleanor P. Sheppard Papers (n.d., 1924-1978), M 277 -- The collection documents the civic and political career of Eleanor P. Sheppard, a member of the Richmond City Council and Virginia House of Delegates. Published and unpublished documents, newspaper clippings, correspondence, campaign and other materials make up the collection. Sheppard served on Richmond's City Council from 1954 until 1968, serving as Richmond's first woman vice mayor (1960-1962) and then later as the first woman mayor (1962-1964). She went on to represent Richmond in the Virginia House of Delegates (1968-1977). The collection is housed in Special Collections and Archives.
  • St. Paul's College, Lawrenceville, Virginia -- An historically African American college located in Lawrenceville, Virginia, the collection includes Board of Visitors minutes, inventories of college departments (1939-1941), and correspondence. The collection was digitally scanned and is available on CD-ROM in Special Collections and Archives. Please email Special Collections and Archives to make arrangements to view materials on CD-ROM.
  • George R. Talcott Papers, 1948-1981, M 241 -- Talcott served the City of Richmond for many years in the area of public utilities. His work included involvement in the Richmond annexation of Chesterfield County in the 1970s. Collection consists of reports, studies and other government documents relating to Richmond. Topics include public utilities, schools and integration mostly dating from the 1970s. The collection is housed in Special Collections and Archives.
  • Clarence L. Townes, Jr. Papers, 1964-1973 -- Clarence L. Townes, Jr. has been a leader in Richmond's African-American community for nearly 40 years and was one of this nation's most prominent African American Republicans. He served as Special Advisor for Minorities to the Chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC) from 1967-1970 which followed a similar responsibility for the Virginia Republican Party. Although he lost his bid for for a seat in the House of Delegates in Virginia's General Assembly, his campaign received national attention. After working in the private sector in the mid-1970s, Townes became deputy director of Richmond Renaissance, a non-profit, corporation formed to foster economic development in downtown Richmond. Townes served as Richmond Renaissance's deputy director from 1982 until 1991 when he was appointed director. He left that position in 1997. The collection includes materials documenting his political and civic work -- including his campaign for office in 1965, his work as a Republican activist throughout the 1960s, and his role heading Richmond Renaissance. The collection includes memoranda, reports, newspaper clippings, numerous publications, correspondence, speeches, campaign materials, photographs, and other materials. The collection is housed in Special Collections and Archives.
  • Samuel Wilbert Tucker Collection, 1939-1994, M 56 -- Samuel Wilbert Tucker (1913-1990), a Richmond civil-rights lawyer active in desegregation efforts in Virginia in the 1950s and 1960s, was the senior member of the firm of Hill, Tucker and Marsh and a cooperating attorney with the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. Throughout his career, Tucker was active in efforts to end desegregation, principally in Virginia's public school systems. The collection contains photocopies of newspaper articles on desegregation efforts in Virginia, primarily from 1960-1964, though other years are represented (articles on other civil rights issues are also included). Photocopies of some correspondence and other materials are also included in the collection. The collection is housed in Special Collections and Archives. The guide to the collection is available from the link above.
  • United Way of Greater Richmond Archives, 1910-1980, M 247 -- The collection consists of correspondence, reports, minutes, and other materials ranging in date from 1910-1980. There are also scrapbooks that reveal the activities of the organization, and photographs of past president of the Richmond Community Council. The collection is housed in Special Collections and Archives.
  • Henry L. Valentine II Papers, n.d., 1970-1980, M 248 -- Papers consist of correspondence, notes, speeches, statistics and reports generated while Valentine was on the Richmond City Council (1970s) and include materials from the years 1971-1984. The collection is housed in Special Collections and Archives.
  • Virginia Civil Rights Movement Video Initiative -- The Virginia Civil Rights Movement Video Initiative, a non-profit organization incorporated in 2002, produced videotaped oral histories of leaders of the Civil Rights movement in Virginia. Researchers can access from this site eleven streaming videos of interviews (and complete transcripts) of: Raymond H. Boone; Elizabeth Cooper and Jane Cooper Johnson; Dr. Joyce E. Glaise; Thomas S. Hardy; Rev. Curtis W. Harris; Oliver W. Hill, Sr.; Henry L. Marsh, III; Dr. Milton Reid; Dr. W. Ferguson Reid; Dr. Laverne Byrd Smith; and John A. Stokes.
  • Virginia Municipal League Archives, n.d., 1933-1990, M 276 -- The Virginia Municipal League, established in 1905, is a non-profit, non-partisan association of the cities, towns and urban counties of Virginia and assists municipal governments through a variety of services. The collection includes League correspondence, annual reports, numerous League publications, convention reports, reports on Virginia localities and photographs. The collection is housed in Special Collections and Archives.
  • John C. Watkins Papers, 1979-through today, M 300 -- The collection comprises the office files of Virginia state senator John C. Watkins, covering the years 1979 through 2000. Watkins has been an outspoken advocate championing the issue of increased cooperation between the localities in the Richmond metropolitan area. The papers include reports, correspondence, memoranda, and files on legislation and various issues that the General Assembly addressed in the 1980s and 1990s. The collection is housed in Special Collections and Archives.