Library of Virginia editors John G. Deal and Marianne E. Julienne and historian Brent Tarter have received this year’s Richard Slatten Award for Excellence in Virginia Biography from the Virginia Museum of History & Culture for their book “Justice for Ourselves: Black Virginians Claim Their Freedom After Slavery.”

Published in 2024 by the University of Virginia Press in association with the Library of Virginia, the book offers a new look at how Black Virginians defined and secured their freedom after the end of slavery. Drawing on life stories from across the state, the authors describe how individuals worked to gain full citizenship and economic independence before the rise of Jim Crow laws.

The book is based on extensive primary source research, much of it from the Library’s collections, and highlights the lives of political leaders, teachers, clergymen, journalists and entrepreneurs, along with lesser-known people whose records have survived.

The Richard Slatten Award, established in 1997 through a bequest, recognizes outstanding work in Virginia biography and includes a $1,000 prize. The book is available through the Virginia Shop at the Library.