HomeMy Public PortalAboutTOL NR 2022-11-30 December Exhibit Highlights Black Resistance (2)
Town of Leesburg
News Release
For Immediate Release
December 1, 2022
Media Contact:
Leah Kosin, Assistant Public Information Officer
pio@leesburgva.gov 703-771-2781
December Exhibit Highlights Black Resistance
Leesburg, VA (December 1, 2022) – A new exhibit, “Black Resistance: Delegates of the 1883
Mass Meeting” is on display in the Mercer Room at the Thomas Balch Library.
First reported in the May 17 edition of The Mirror, the “1883 Mass Meeting” resulted in
seventeen delegates from Loudoun’s black communities petitioning Judge James B. McCabe for
civil rights guaranteed by the 14th and 15th amendments. The exhibit showcases how these men
– political, economic, educational, and spiritual leaders – resisted Jim Crow conditions imposed
on them by advocating for their civil rights, forming supportive communities, and inspiring
future generations of Loudoun leaders.
Local historian, Donna Bohanon incorporates concepts from the Association for the Study of
African American Life and History’s theme “Black Resistance” to explore the unique history of
Loudoun’s black communities as represented by the seventeen men.
The exhibit will be on display through December 30. It can be viewed during the library’s
operating hours: Monday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday from 10
a.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday from 2 to 8 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from
1 to 5 p.m. Please note, the library is closed for lunch, from 12 to 1 p.m., on Monday, Tuesday,
Thursday, and Friday. For more information, please call 703-737-7195 or email
balchlib@leesburgva.gov.
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