Jackson Ward in Richmond, VA was one of the most active and well known centers of African American life in this country by 1920.  Other examples of cities such as this one include Alexandria, VA and Church Street in Norfolk, VA. African Americans were able to create vibrant communities with businesses, churches, and entertainment venues despite the challenges they faced in this country.

This capstone project can be used for students taking United States History to 1865 through Virginia and United States Government.  The project was written specifically for the state-developed African American History Elective course, but can be easily modified for any course.

This capstone project can be used for students taking Virginia Studies through Virginia and United States Government.  The project was written specifically for the state-developed African American History Elective course, but can be easily modified for any course.

This capstone project can be used for students taking United States History to 1865 through Virginia and United States Government.  The project was written specifically for the state-developed African American History Elective course, but can be easily modified for any course.

This capstone project can be used for students taking United States History to 1865 through Virginia and United States Government.  The project was written specifically for the state-developed African American History Elective course, but can be easily modified for any course.

This capstone project can be used for students taking United States History to 1865 through Virginia and United States Government.  The project was written specifically for the state-developed African American History Elective course, but can be easily modified for any course.

This capstone project can be used for students taking United States History to 1865 through Virginia and United States Government.  The project was written specifically for the state-developed African American History Elective course, but can be easily modified for any course.

This capstone project can be used for students taking United States History to 1865 through Virginia and United States Government.  The project was written specifically for the state-developed African American History Elective course, but can be easily modified for any course.

This capstone project can be used for students taking United States History to 1865 through Virginia and United States Government.  The project was written specifically for the state-developed African American History Elective course, but can be easily modified for any course.

This capstone project can be used for students taking Virginia Studies through Virginia and United States Government.  The project was written specifically for the state-developed African American History Elective course, but can be easily modified for any course.

This activity was originally developed by the teachers in the pilot program for the African  American History elective course (state-developed).  It can be modified for any American History course.

This capstone project can be used for students taking United States History to 1865 through Virginia and United States Government.  The project was written specifically for the state-developed African American History Elective course, but can be easily modified for any course.

Racism began to evolve during the second half of the 17th Century, around 1640.  African Americans made up a few thousand of the total population in the new colonies. Many of those early African Americans experienced life much like their fellow European settlers. The reversals they experienced were subtle at first but then became drastic. Those changes occurred because slavery was being used in the Caribbean to produce sugar so those ideas about labor traveled north easily.  It was also harder to import labor from Europe because the Civil War and the plague had reduced the population there. European colonists were realizing that enslaving African Americans would be more efficient and profitable. 

In this lesson students will investigate and describe the social and economic impacts and aftermath of riots of the 1960s using primary and secondary sources in a Google Hyperdoc.

The PDF map lists museums of Virginia by the region in which they can be found.