and white schools, briefed many communities in Loudoun and have begun an analysis
of the impact of segregated education on African-Americans. In addition, we
interviewed many people who either taught or studied in the “colored” schools and have
made much progress identifying where the schools were, which is not always clear from
the records. This includes doing an expedition in order to find the ruins of the old
Bluemont Colored School. We had to use an army compass for that exercise.
We need to buy more archival boxes for old records and books. In addition, we are
examining all of the old schools, which requires a lot of gas. Records directly related to
“colored” schools in Loudoun are in the archives of Swarthmore in Pennsylvania, as
they relate to Quaker assistance, so we need funds to cover our travel at US
government per diem rates. There are also records at Virginia State University. We
also need to continue digital preservation of all of the records so that if a fire ever
happened, this history will never be lost.
Your donation will be deeply felt. I hope you will be able to assist us.