What's Inside this Guide?
This guide to historical scholarship on race in Virginia seeks to illuminate the intellectual, social, cultural, and political history of Virginia in order to create a more accurate understanding of how racial identity has been historically constructed, as well as how the experiences and outcomes of racial groups have been shaped by historical factors.
This guide advances the vision of the Truth & Reconciliation Strategic Plan, which emphasizes both reckoning and healing.
Historical scholarship focuses on the scholarly monograph (i.e. book) as the main vehicle of scholarly communication. All scholarly monographs in this guide have received at least one favorable review from a reputable book review source. In addition, the titles in this guide represent a diversity of viewpoints among scholars. At its best, the historical scholarship strips away a reader’s ideological orientation in favor of truth, which is complex, nuanced, and does not conform to orthodoxy.
Finally, this guide is also a testament to the diversity inherent within racial groups. Racial groups are not monolithic, and the historical scholarship bears this out. The construction of race is an ongoing, dynamic process.
Virginians have a history that includes remarkable cultural achievement and cultural synthesis, as well as injustice and oppression. A truthful telling of the past is multidimensional.
Most books in this guide are accessible via the GCC Libraries' online resources. Learn more about a specific book by hovering over the "i" (i.e. information) icon next to the book title. An excerpt from a book review has been included for most books.
