A Publication of the Public Library Association Public Libraries Online
illustration of women different races

Desegregation of Public Libraries in Winchester & Richmond, Virginia

Progress in library integration didn’t happen simply because time passed, or even because Brown v. Board ruled separate but equal unconstitutional. It happened because of the efforts of citizens like Henry Brooks and Charles Harper in Winchester and members of the Business and Professional Men’s Council in Richmond. These and other heroic library rights activists deserve to be recognized today for their achievements.