Passed at the height of the Eugenics Movement, the Virginia Racial Integrity Act proclaimed the existence of only two racial categories in Virginia – “colored” and “white.” This law effectively stripped people of Native American descent, as well as members of ethnic groups with dark skin, of their land, voting rights, and legal identity. Longwood College professor J. David Smith and Old Dominion University anthropologist Helen Rountree discuss the Act and its legacy.
Feature: The Monacan Indians of Amherst County were impacted by the Act. Jeff Hantman (University of Virginia) is featured.
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