Moving Forward While Recognizing the Past | Main Street America
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In 1963, Danville, Virginia, was at the center of the Civil Rights Movement. Their involvement began in May with public demonstrations to protest the segregation of government and public facilities. This peaceful action was met with violence and intimidation from local authorities. Martin Luther King Jr. showed key support for the local movement, but the protests were forced to stop before they could meet their goals. Segregation continued in the city until the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1965.

Today, Danville’s Main Street organization — the River District Association—is committed to telling its civil rights story and uplifting Danville’s Black community. Marta Olmos, Associate Manager for Content and Communications at Main Street America, spoke with Diana Schwartz, CEO of the River District Association (RDA), about Main Streets’ role in sharing difficult histories and building more equitable communities. 

Diana, how does the River District Association recognize and share the city’s civil rights history?

Our community was deeply ingrained in the movement to a degree that many are likely unaware of. Dr. King was in Danville many times and had offices here during the Civil Rights Movement, and references to our community can be found in his writings. The events that took place here are a core part of our history, and recognizing history is a critical factor in our mission to improve our quality of life and quality of place. Our community does not shy away from difficult topics. 

RDA shares Danville’s history through our blog stories and social media, as well as by coordinating and conducting tours. RDA has information about specific locations and events from the Civil Rights Movement in the River District on our website. We have also put together self-guided walking tours to discover not only the events in the Civil Rights Movement but also to recognize the history of the Black Wall Street district on North Union Street. The Former First State Bank (now Movement Bank) started on North Union Street and was instrumental in the civil rights activities in Danville. RDA offices are across the street from this property, keeping history at the forefront of our daily work. We also work with Karice Luck-Brimmer at Our History Matters to provide trolley tours several times a year at no cost to our residents (we absorb the costs).

How has Danville reckoned with the difficult history of racism and segregation? 

First and foremost, we must recognize the wrongs that took place and be accountable for past actions. Transparency is key to moving forward; you must acknowledge challenges to address them. One example in Danville — and throughout the South — is the removal of Confederate flags and statues. While there are no flags displayed on public property thanks to the actions of our City Council in 2016, we still have a few individuals who fly the flag on private property within view of residents and visitors to our region. This is certainly not reflective of the attitude of the great majority of our residents but does serve as a reminder that our past should always inform the work of the present.

For some residents — especially younger generations — it could seem like these things happened ​“long ago,” but there are still many people living in our community who experienced these events first-hand and can give eyewitness testimony, ensuring that the telling of our history is truthful and relevant.

A large group of people participating in a ribbon cutting at a small business

What programs does RDA have that support the Black community and uplift Black-owned businesses?

While RDA continues to operate a traditional Main Street program within our downtown Historic River District, we also realize that many other neighborhoods and historic districts in the city deserve to be preserved and to benefit from reinvestment programs. As such, we have begun to work outside our district in an adjacent commercial corridor, the North Main District. This work has ranged from providing holiday décor and branding to working with the Urban Land Institute on small area planning, advocating for the city to revitalize buildings, and supporting grant programs and ribbon cuttings for North Main District Businesses. Local youth are also engaged in planning for the future of the district. The work can be messy, and the way forward is not always clear-cut, but it is one way for our organization to be of the highest and best use to the community.

As part of this work, we have also created the True North Speaker Series, which brings public recognition to Black female leaders in our community who have links to the North Main district. This is one avenue to overcome perceptions and biases that may exist for residents who grew up there or live in the district; instead of hoping or waiting for people to come to the North Main District, video and television bring these stories to the community in a very proactive and accessible way.

We also consider history, access, culture, and traditions when designing promotions, events, advertising, communications, programs, and services to ensure that we are a welcoming and thriving place where everyone has agency.

Why is it important for Main Streets to recognize and share difficult histories? How does RDA approach this work?

You cannot expect people to buy into the future if you are unwilling to recognize the past.

We infuse history into our work in many ways, from participating in Virginia Main Street storytelling initiatives to our entry and winning campaign for the 2018 Vote Your Main Street competition to receive grant funding to revitalize a historic building in the former Black Wall Street district (where our offices are currently housed). We also ensure that our board reflects our community and that new programs are built thoughtfully to overcome barriers to participation.

Ultimately, Main Street organizations need to recognize the positive and negative impacts their work has — not only downtown but across the entire community. We were vocal from the very start of our downtown redevelopment that while the work of revitalization started downtown, it would not end there. I am very proud that our organization keeps that commitment by expanding our work into additional districts. Only by working together will we find even more ways to build bridges to connection, communication, and opportunities for everyone who wants to live, work, play, and invest in the region.

Downtown Decorations, a Main Street America Allied Member, is this quarter’s Main Spotlight advertiser. For more information about what they do to support Main Street organizations, click here.

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