A history preservation project
DOVE - Desegregation of Virginia Education - was created to find, catalog, and encourage the preservation of records that tell the story of Virginia's school desegregation process. Hosted by Old Dominion University Libraries, DOVE is a collaboration of universities, libraries, and community groups. Learn more about DOVE on the 10-Year Celebration (2018) page.
Tell Us Your Story
The missing pieces of Virginia's history puzzle are the thousands of untold stories of personal experiences with integration. While Virginia's role in the school desegregation struggle has been documented through public record, newspaper accounts and court documents, the real people who were affected have been left out. From segregation to massive resistance to desegregation, they bore witness to emerging social change. Their stories help us to understand the enormity of the struggle that brought about that change.
Can you help us by telling your story? We are interested in the experiences of students, parents and educators in Virginia schools and colleges from the mid-1940s to mid-1980s. Contact us, or tell us your story here. Read the stories of others.
Preserve History
Do you have papers, photographs, newspapers or audio-visual materials about school desegregation in Virginia? If you would like to donate this material, DOVE can direct you to an archive in your area that is dedicated to preserving this important history. Contact us. Do you know a book or collection of papers that should be listed in the DOVE catalog? Let us know.
About the DOVE Catalog
The DOVE Catalog is available as a WordPress site, compliments of George Mason University.
The DOVE catalog was created as a way to share and preserve records that tell the story of Virginia's school desegregation process. It lists relevant primary and secondary sources held in repositories around the country, including local historical societies, university special collections, government repositories and public libraries.
Because the collections reside at a wide range of institutions, we are not able to provide access to the collections themselves. Researchers seeking specific information on and access to collections listed in the catalog are requested to use the repository information to contact the holding institution directly.