Conditions Governing Use

Not all materials have releases or transcripts. Of the 40 interviews in the collection, only 29 have transcripts, and 9 have releases. This may impact how these materials can be used.

Conditions Governing Access

Access is restricted to two items in folder 1:1; please consult Special Collections and Archives staff for details. Collection is otherwise open to research.

Preferred Citation

Illusion vs. Reality Project collection, 1991-1993, M 563, Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.

Processing Information

Materials in this collection are from the Illusion vs. Reality project, and at one time may have been part of multiple artificial groupings from disparate donations and accessions, including the Oral History Collection, the Virginia Black History Archives, and Black History Archives Project. These materials were reprocessed in 2020 and repatriated to their correct collection.

Accession Notes: Some of the accessions added to this collection are only a few items from that accession, noted below.

Content Description

The materials were created by those connected with the "Illusion vs. Reality" project in 1991-1992, predominantly in Richmond, Virginia and the surrounding counties of Henrico and Chesterfield. The collection contains interviews, releases and transcripts, reports and syllabi from the courses, and the original grant application. These interviews discuss the African American, Black Islamic, Asian, and Native American experience in Richmond, dealing with religion, education, literature, and culture in central Virginia. Not every interview has a transcript, and only a few items have their signed releases. None of the VHS interviews have transcripts or releases. Please see the Conditions Governing Use for more detailed information.

Arrangement

Materials in this collection retain their original arrangement and are arranged into series based on the course title. Transcripts, interview audio/visual formats, supporting documents, and transcripts and/or releases are included in their respective series.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• African American Muslims
• African Americans -- Education -- Virginia -- History
• Asian Americans
• Education -- Virginia.
• Islam
• Muslim women
• Native Americans
• Oral histories
• Richmond (Va.) -- Economic conditions.