The Cook Foundation and Fairfield Foundation Announce Landmark Exhibition of Rare, Historic Photos of Black Life in Rural Virginia by Freedom B. Goode
The Special Exhibition Everyday People: Through Freedom’s Lens, An Exhibition of Rare Photographs by Freedom B. Goode opened today at the Fine Arts Museum of Gloucester. The Exhibition will be on display through May 23, 2025.
The exhibition, curated in collaboration with members of the Descendant (Black) community - led by Deborah Billups, Dr. David Brown and Dr. Mueller-Heubach of the Fairfield Foundation, and Elizabeth Blackney of the Cook Foundation, brings to light untold stories of the Black community in Gloucester County, Virginia, during one of the most pivotal eras in American history: the Civil Rights Movement. Featuring previously unseen photographs by Freedom B. Goode, a local leader and documentarian, the exhibition captures the resilience, courage, and grassroots leadership of Gloucester’s Black citizens as they navigated a landscape of segregation, integration, and the fight for equality.
Junior Leaders of the Gloucester 4H Club join each other in cleaning up the community and prepare to enjoy an outing at the Skating Rink behind them. © Fairfield Foundation and presented by the Cook Foundation at the Fine Arts Museum of Gloucester.
“It is an honor to be associated with Freedom B. 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 understanding Gloucester’s past, but our nation’s as well,” noted Dr. David Brown of the Fairfield Foundation.
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 showcasing Goode’s photography and contributions to the Civil Rights Movement — a nuanced and honest window depicts life in 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 in Gloucester were making national headlines: such as the historic 1946 Supreme Court victory of Irene Morgan, the integration of public schools, and the enduring legacy of Black institutions like the Woodville Rosenwald Schools. The exhibition adds depth to our understanding of the national movement and celebrates the power of grassroots leadership.”
Deborah Billups noted, “Participating in the development of the Freedom B. Goode exhibit has been a wonderful experience and I am looking forward to the completed project. Many thanks to the Goode family, the Fine Arts Museum of Gloucester, the Fairfield Foundation, and members of the community who helped make this possible.”
Photographs in this exhibition, unless otherwise noted are © Fairfield Foundation and presented by the Cook Foundation for the October 2024 - May 2025 Special Exhibition.
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Editor’s Notes:
Civil Rights Leaders of Gloucester, Virginia
In addition to Freedom Goode, Gloucester is home to several notable civil rights figures. Irene Morgan, whose 1946 Supreme Court case Morgan v. Virginia ended segregation in interstate travel, symbolizes courage and resilience. Gloucester's Thomas Calhoun (TC) Walker, a pioneering African American attorney, laid the foundation for education and civic leadership decades earlier and served as the Building Agent for the Rosenwald Schools throughout Virginia that served Black families during Jim Crow. Freedom Goode carried on this legacy through his community work.
The Cook Foundation, founded in 1999 by Dr. Adrianne Ryder Cook Joseph, showcases our community as an exciting place to live – to the artists, art collectors, and businesses that appreciate a quality of life that cannot be found elsewhere. For 25 years, the Cook Foundation’s leadership, partnerships with the community and volunteers, and public art experiences have contributed to our thriving and historic village and its Main Street. The Cook Foundation founded and funds the Fine Arts Museum of Gloucester.
The Fairfield Foundation, founded in 2000, is led by Co-Directors Dr. David Brown and Thane Harpole. The Fairfield Foundation promotes and involves the public in hands-on archaeology, preservation, and education activities within Virginia’s Middle Peninsula and surrounding areas. The Fairfield Foundation operates five historic properties in Gloucester County: Fairfield Archaeology Park, Timberneck House at Machicomoco State Park, Edge Hill Texaco (the C.A.P.E.), Rosewell Ruins and Visitor Center, and Walter Reed birthplace.