Prince Edward State Park: A Refuge of Freedom

In post-Civil War America, strict segregation laws in many southern states denied many Americans the opportunity to visit parks and recreate. After a legal battle with the Virginia Conservation Commission, a separate but equal facility was established here, and in 1950 Prince Edward State Park for Negroes opened, giving African Americans in the Commonwealth of Virginia their first opportunity to visit a state park without discrimination or race-based limitations. As Virginia's eighth state park, it quickly drew growing crowds, with attendance rising by the thousands within a year. Prince Edward State Park for Negroes was the only pre-Civil Rights era state park to offer equal recreation opportunities for people of color, drawing visitors from across the Mid-Atlantic to enjoy outdoor recreation free from discrimination.

Virginia · United States