Annotated Bibliography Virginian Civil Rights
Johnson, Kimberley S. "From Politics to Protest: African American Voting in Virginia in the Pre-
Civil Rights Movement Era, 1940-1954."7Studies in American Political Development731,
no. 2 (10, 2017): 218-37,
https://go.openathens.net/redirector/liberty.edu?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-
journals/politics-protest-african-american-voting-virginia/docview/2036513139/se-2.
This source will be excellent to show a more modern viewpoint on Civil Rights in
Virginia, especially regarding the foundational years of the Civil Rights movement.
Johnson’s knowledge of voting practices and how they influenced the Virginian
communities will be invaluable. Johnson goes in depth into the voting practices of the
Black communities during this time and shows the response from the white community.
This will be excellent in giving perspective on racial tensions, especially concerning
something as contentious as voting, while also showing a look into how the Black
community tried to gain greater rights for themselves.
“The VVL is an example of how black activist communities/movements developed
strategies and tools that fit with Virginia's political and institutional configurations, while
simultaneously drawing from outside the state's political order for additional leverage.”1
In Kimberly Johnson’s article “From Politics to Protest,” she makes a point to examine
the Virginia Voters League and its efforts to inform and train up the black population in
how to conduct political campaigns, acquire resources for those campaigns, and form
petitions. Unfortunately, the VVL was not a long-lived movement, as these efforts proved
insufficient in the long term, and for several reasons the VVL was unsuccessful.2
Wingfield, Danielle. "PATHWAYS TO LIBERTY: WHAT COLONIAL, ANTEBELLUM, AND
POSTBELLUM EDUCATION CAN TEACH US ABOUT TODAY."7The William and
Mary Bill of Rights Journal732, no. 2 (12, 2023): 377-435,
https://go.openathens.net/redirector/liberty.edu?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-
journals/pathways-liberty-what-colonial-antebellum/docview/2972796131/se-2.
This article shows how education has been handled throughout Virginian history,
breaking the subject down by time period and researching how Americans (slave, free,
white, or black) pursued education from the colonial period up through to the postbellum
period. A great deal can be learned about a country or a culture by how they instruct their
children, and this look into the history of their education will highlight one of the most
important topics of conversation surrounding racial issues we have today: disparity in
education. Wingfield does an admirable job presenting the facts in clear and (relatively)
1 Kimberly S. Johnson. “From Politics to Protest: African American Voting in Virginia in the
Pre-Civil Rights Movement Era, 1940-1954.")Studies in American Political Development)31,
no. 2 (10, 2017).
2 Johnson. “From Politics to Protest.”
unbiased ways, making her point that we have repeatedly used education as a tool to
either suppress or contain different demographics throughout history.
“Indeed, the emphasis on liberty in these campaigns reflect the broader influence of
Enlightenment philosophies of the age, which emphasized the value of individual
freedom, equality, and human rights. In this vein, these movements challenged existing
hierarchies and power structures, aiming to create societies where individuals could
exercise their inherent rights without undue interference-which included the laws and
structures put in place during the Colonial, Antebellum, and Postbellum periods to
enforce racial subordination and limit the rights and opportunities available to Black
people.” 3
Education is the fuel that drives the machine of our freedom. It propels us forward and
allows us to defend our own rights to freedom and the pursuit of happiness in intelligent
and effective ways. Education is essential to our pursuit of justice and peace for
everyone. 4
3 Danielle Wingfield. "PATHWAYS TO LIBERTY: WHAT COLONIAL, ANTEBELLUM, AND
POSTBELLUM EDUCATION CAN TEACH US ABOUT TODAY.")The William and Mary Bill of
Rights Journal)32, no. 2 (12, 2023)
4 Wingfield, “Pathways to Liberty.”
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