New Exhibition Features Work of Former Voting Rights Activists
Published on July 29, 2025
To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, Arlington Public Library has partnered with community organizations for the exhibition "From Barriers to Ballots—The Fight for Equal Voting Rights in Virginia," to tell the stories of activists in Arlington and Northern Virginia who fought for voting rights.
At six locations in Arlington, Alexandria, and Fairfax, visitors can discover the stories of Annie E. Harper who hailed from the historic Black community of Gum Springs, VA; Hall’s Hill (now High View Park) activist Portia A. Haskins; and former Green Valley resident and community organizer John Robinson. Their tireless work impacted local communities in Northern Virginia and had vast implications for voting rights nationally, resulting in a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on March 24, 1966, that ended the Jim Crow era poll tax in Virginia, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas.
From Barriers to Ballots—The Fight for Equal Voting Rights in Virginia
The exhibitions will be on view during regular opening hours from Aug. 1 to Nov. 4, 2025, at Bozman Government Center, Arlington Central Library, Arlington Historical Museum, Black Heritage Museum of Arlington, Sherwood Regional Library (Aug. 1-31), and City of Fairfax Regional Library (Sept. 1-Nov. 4).
Exhibition partners include the Arlington Historical Society, the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington, the League of Women Voters of Arlington and Alexandria City and the NAACP Arlington Branch.
Funding for "From Barriers to Ballots" has generously been provided by the Friends of the Arlington Public Library (FOAL).
Content for this exhibition has been provided by the Charlie Clark Center for Local History (CCCLH) and the following media contributors: Arlington County Department of Voter Registration and Elections; Bethlehem Baptist Church, Gum Springs, Virginia; City of Fairfax Regional Library, Fairfax County Public Library; Library of Congress; Library of Virginia; Norman Rockwell Museum and the Virginia Museum of Fine Art.
Join the library and community partners at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 6, at Central Library for the opening reception of the exhibition to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Find more events featuring voting rights history.
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