How Race and Sports Shaped Charlottesville, VA

The Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society has launched a major oral history project called “Race & Sports: Athletics and Desegregation in Central Virginia.” This project seeks to collect and preserve the memories of those involved in Central Virginia public school sports during the period of Massive Resistance and desegregation. We are building a database of interviews with Black and White student athletes, cheerleaders, school administrators, teachers, coaches, local leaders, and parents who share their stories of that tumultuous time. Did athletics help to build relationships and understandings across the color line? Or did the “team” only exist on the field of play? Please join us on June 14, 2022 at 7pm for an update on this ongoing project and hear from two participants who will share some of the stories we have documented.