Loudoun County Exhibit: "Black Patriots and Loyalists of the American Revolution"
An overview of struggles and triumphs faced by Black Americans seeking liberty and equality in the face of war.
February 1, 2025, 11:00 AM to March 31, 2025, 5:00 PM EST
Presented by the Black History Committee of the Friends of the Thomas Balch Library with the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area Association, this exhibit looks at struggles and triumphs faced by Black Americans, including several from Loudoun County, in their dual battles for liberty and equality during the Revolutionary War -- the last U.S. conflict involving racially integrated armies on both sides until the Truman Administration, more than a century later. In documents and images, including paintings by a local Black artist, the installation (running through March 2025) relates narratives of bravery, resilience and difficult decisions in the face of war.
Related content and programming:
- Spatializing Black Stories: Geographies of Community in Loudoun County, Virginia, a storymap, was also a product of a collaboration by the Friends' Black History Committee, in this case with scholars from the Center for Mason Legacies.
- Sunday, Feb. 23, at 2 p.m., at Cascades Library, Exhibit Coordinator Alicia Cohen will present on Revolutionary War contributions of Black Americans.
- Read more about the exhibit on Loudoun Now.
The exhibit is on view at the Thomas Balch Library, in Leesburg, Virginia, and may be viewed during library hours:
Monday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.
Library hours are subject to change. For more information, please call 703-737-7195, or email balchlib@leesburgva.gov.
