Stories of Segregation in Bluefield, Virginia Oral History Collection
Scope and Content
This collection was donated as a research project on the personal significance of the historically segregated neighborhoods of Bluefield, West Virginia, and Bluefield, Virginia. Gregory Galford, Vonnia Davis, Micaela Appelbaum, and Jessica Taylor interviewed residents and former residents of these segregated neighborhoods to reconstruct a previously unrecorded history of how segregated space in this regional hub has changed over time.
Dates
- 2023
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research, with the exception fo some restricted materials that are not available to the public.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish material from the Bluefield Oral History Project must be obtained from Special Collections and Universtiy Archives, Virginia Tech.
Biographical Note
This collection began as a research project for how segregation changes over time in Bluefield, Virginia. Bluefield was established as a railway hub that served the Appalachian coalfields of southern West Virginia. The coal produced great wealth in the region, and Bluefield was the recipient. The railroad lines that served as its economic lifeline went down the middle of the valley with high mountains on both the north and south sides. The boundary of the railroad and mountain provided the physical limitations of the town, easing the establishment of segregated neighborhoods that faced each other across the valley.
Extent
0.1 Cubic Feet
Language of Materials
English
Source of Acquisition
Interivews were acquired by Special Collections and University Archives in 2023. Additional oral histories will be added to the collection as they are conducted and processed.
Processing Information
The processing, arrangement, and description of the Bluefield Oral History Project was completed in August 2024.
- Title
- Stories of Segregation in Bluefield, Virginia, 2023
- Author
- Kristin Nivera, COH Emergency Hire
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech Repository
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia 24061 US
540-231-6308
specref@vt.edu