VCU Libraries has launched its Archives of the New Dominion project to locate, secure and make accessible the paper history and archives of Central Virginia’s African-American, gay and lesbian, Hispanic, and women’s activist communities. Funded by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, this initiative takes a proactive approach to archives and history by working with the communities to identify organizations and individuals, both renowned and practically unknown, who are agents of change on behalf of their communities.
The history of these four communities in Central Virginia is rich but, unfortunately, not adequately documented. This project seeks to raise awareness within these communities about the importance of preserving their historical records, which are too often lost to fire, flood, accident or neglect. Whenever an individual moves or an organization closes its doors, it is common for them to discard older papers that they are no longer using but that might contain important historical information found nowhere else. The James Branch Cabell Library provides a safe, secure and climate-controlled space where the vibrant history of these communities is being preserved and made accessible to researchers.
To learn more about this project, please click on one of the community links at the top of this page.
