Cumberland in Cumberland County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Jackson Davis
Cumberland, Virginia
— Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail® —
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), April 22, 2021
Jackson Davis, an educational reformer and amateur photographer, was born in Cumberland County, VA, to William Anderson and Sally Wyatt (Guy) Davis on September 25, 1882. He attended the public schools of Richmond, VA, and received his BA from College of William and Mary in 1902 and his MA from Columbia University in 1908.
Throughout his career, Davis specialized in Southern education, interracial problems, and education in the Belgian Congo and Liberia. From 1915 to 1946, his work at the General Education Board in New York City was focused on improving education in the Southern states. During this time, he took nearly 6,000 photographs of African American schools, teachers, and students throughout the southeastern United States. His photographs — most of them intended to demonstrate the wretched conditions of African American schools and to show how they could be improved — provide a unique view of Southern education during the first half of the 20th century.
Davis died in Cartersville, VA, on April 15, 1947. At the time of his death, he was president of the board of trustees of Booker T. Washington Institute in Liberia, president of the New York State Colonization Society, and a member of both the Commission on Interracial Cooperation and the Advisory Committee on Education in Liberia. Davis' influence on behalf of better relations and understanding between whites and Blacks and his pioneering work in promoting regional centers of education in the South were of immense significance. His photographs and papers were donated after his death to the University of Virginia Library.
Erected by Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail. (Marker Number CM3.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Civil Rights • Education. In addition, it is included in the Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail series list. A significant historical date for this entry is April 15, 1947.
Location. 37° 29.813′ N, 78° 14.714′ W. Marker is in Cumberland, Virginia, in Cumberland County. Marker is at the intersection of Foster Road and Courthouse Circle, on the right when traveling south on Foster Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1492 Anderson Hwy, Cumberland VA 23040, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. First Call For Independence (within shouting distance of this marker); Confederate Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Cumberland County Court House (within shouting distance of this marker); Veterans Memorial (about 300 feet away,
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), April 22, 2021
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. Old Marker At This Location also titled "Jackson Davis".
Credits. This page was last revised on August 14, 2022. It was originally submitted on April 24, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 105 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 24, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.