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Civil Rights Protest, Danville, Photograph, 1963

CONTENT WARNING

Materials in the Library of Virginia’s collections contain historical terms, phrases, and images that are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and dehumanizing references to race, ethnicity, and nationality; enslaved or free status; physical and mental ability; and gender and sexual orientation. 

Context

In the summer of 1963, violence erupted in Danville, Virginia, as Danville policemen led by police chief Eugene G. McCain aggressively arrested and dispersed protestors during a series of civil rights demonstrations led by local and national black leaders.

The protests resulted in a number of arrests and court cases.  Accompanying this photograph is a recording from the trial in which defense attorney Ruth L. Harvey (1924–1996) questioned forty-six-year-old Paul Price, who testified that a police officer beat him with a nightstick as he walked away from a demonstration on June 13, 1963.

Audio Clip

Citation: Danville (Virginia) Corporation Court, 1963 Civil Rights Case Files, 1963–1973, Accession 38099, Local Government Records Collection, Library of Virginia.

Standards

USII.8, VUS.1, VUS.13, VUS.14

Suggested Questions

Preview Activity

Look at It: Look at the photograph, describe what is happening and who is involved? 

Post Activities

Current Connections: How might this event have been documented differently if it had happened today? Consider how the events during the summer of 2020 were depicted in the media and other sources.

Form an Opinion: After listening to the audio clip, what is you opinion about the events during the summer of 1963? On what do you base your opinion? Explain.