All Richmond Public Library locations are now providing Express services with computer access by appointment. Visit our Reopening Page to learn more about our phased reopening plan and what services are expanding.

Block the Vote

Block the Vote

The Deliberate Suppression of The Black Vote

A history of regressive voter suppression laws left behind from the Jim Crow Era and how they continue to suppress the Black vote.

Block the Vote

The Right to Vote coalition and the Richmond Public Library welcome you to Block The Vote: The Deliberate Suppression of the Black Vote. This exhibit traces the history of voter suppression and felony disenfranchisement in Virginia and throughout our nation. Policy decisions 150 years in the making have led to millions of Black voters being blocked from the ballot box in the past and still today. A famous quote cites that “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it” and we hope this look back encourages us to ensure that all Virginians have the right to vote.

Partners