The Cook Foundation and the Fairfield Foundation are proud to presentĀ Everyday People: Through Freedom’s Lens, An Exhibition of Rare Photographs by Freedom B.Ā Goode. Photo shown: Rose Spencer and John S. Jackson, Jr. depart their wedding in style, photo by Freedom B. Goode exemplifies Black joy at the height of the Civil Rights era.
The exhibition, curated in collaboration with members of the Descendant (Black) community – led byĀ Deborah Billups, Dr.Ā David BrownĀ and Dr. Mueller-Heubach of the Fairfield Foundation, andĀ Elizabeth BlackneyĀ of the Cook Foundation, brings to light untold stories of the Black community inĀ Gloucester County, Virginia, during one of the most pivotal eras in American history: the Civil Rights Movement. Featuring previously unseen photographs by Freedom B.Ā Goode, a local leader and documentarian, the exhibition captures the resilience, courage, and grassroots leadership ofĀ Gloucester’sĀ Black citizens as they navigated a landscape of segregation, integration, and the fight for equality.
“It is an honor to be associated with Freedom B.Ā Goode. We are proud to be a part of the curation and exhibition of his remarkable photography. Preserving his perspective of this transformative period in American history is important not just for understandingĀ Gloucester’sĀ past, but our nation’s as well,” noted Dr.Ā David Brown.
The exhibition explores the nuanced history of civil rights in a rural Southern community, amplifying voices that were often marginalized in the national narrative. By showcasingĀ Goode’sĀ photography and contributions to the Civil Rights Movement ā a nuanced and honest window depicts life inĀ Gloucester County, once a county that had the highest per capita land ownership by Black families in the country.
Elizabeth Blackney, Executive Director of the Cook Foundation said, “His bracing photographs were taken even as others inĀ GloucesterĀ were making national headlines: such as the historic 1946 Supreme Court victory ofĀ Irene Morgan, the integration of public schools, and the enduring legacy of Black institutions like the Woodville Rosenwald Schools.”
Deborah BillupsĀ noted, “Participating in the development of the Freedom B.Ā GoodeĀ exhibit has been a wonderful experience and I am looking forward to the completed project. Many thanks to theĀ GoodeĀ family, the Fine Arts Museum ofĀ Gloucester, the Fairfield Foundation, and members of the community who helped make this possible.”
Photographs in this exhibition, unless otherwise noted are Ā© Fairfield Foundation and presented by the Cook Foundation for theĀ October 2024Ā –Ā May 2025Ā Special Exhibition.
