For decades, footage of Richmond’s marches, rallies and protests sat quietly in police archives. This week, VCU Libraries will bring these rarely seen films into public view.

VCU Libraries will host a virtual panel today to highlight its Richmond Police Department Surveillance Collection, which offers public access to more than 100 restored films documenting local civil rights activity. 

The event, “Inside the Richmond Police Department Surveillance Collection,” begins at 12:30 p.m. on Zoom. Registration is required. 

The collection features 156 films and 13 audio reels recorded by Richmond police during the 1960s and 1970s. Currently, 112 films are available online through Scholars Compass, with additional material accessible by request in Special Collections and Archives. Newly discovered audio recordings will be added this fall. 

The footage captures a wide range of events, including meetings of the Black Panther Party, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Poor People’s Campaign of 1968, marches and memorials following King’s assassination, anti-Vietnam War protests, American Nazi Party rallies, Ku Klux Klan parades and marches against school desegregation busing. 

Panelists will discuss the collection’s historical value, its preservation and its ties to other archives at The Valentine museum. Speakers will include Brian Daugherity, a VCU history professor; Meg Hughes, deputy director of collections at The Valentine; and Irina Rogova, digital initiatives librarian at VCU Libraries. 

More information about the collection and a search tool are available at library. vcu.edu.