This month a new exhibit created by Virginia Foundation for the Humanities will provide a window into the lives led by black residents of Charlottesville and surrounding areas, before Emancipation and during the Jim Crow era.

Developed by the foundation’s “Encyclopedia Virginia” publication, “Landscapes of Slavery and Segregation” takes visitors on an audio-visual tour of some of the areas most impacted by slavery and discrimination in Charlottesville. While walking through the University of Virginia’s Academical Village, the Downtown Mall or the Jefferson School African-American Heritage Center, visitors can use an app on their smartphones or tablets to guide them and listen to stories relating to each stop. The audio can also be accessed by calling the telephone numbers listed at the Downtown Mall and Jefferson School sites; the phone number also is listed on the exhibit’s brochure for all of the UVA sites.

“We wanted to do something in conjunction with the National Endowment for the Humanities’ 50^th anniversary celebration happening this month in Charlottesville, and one of the major themes of that celebration is examining African-American history,” said Matthew Gibson, the director of digital initiatives and editor of “Encyclopedia Virginia.”

“Encyclopedia Virginia” has long been committed to documenting and sharing the history of African-Americans in the commonwealth and was able to work with its partners and draw from its content to build the new tour.

UVA Today got a preview of some of the sites and stories included in “Landscapes of Slavery and Segregation”; the full exhibit will be available through the end of this month.

(Photos by Dan Addison, University Communications)