Diversity Fairs of Virginia

The Edwin Washington Society, formerly Diversity and Equality Fairs of Virginia, is a nonprofit organization formed in 2014 to foster nonpartisan conversations about the value of diversity. Its work combines civic engagement with the preservation and study of historical records, particularly those relating to Loudoun County, Virginia. The Society is a member of CIVICUS and supports research, public discussion, and community involvement.

Its programs include the Bulletin of Loudoun County History, an annual publication covering local architecture, the Civil War, biographies, historically important trades, and the experiences of the county’s ethnic groups. The Edwin Washington Project documents Black schools and education during segregation, using interviews, archival research, document preservation, mapping, and imaging technology. The John Rust Archives Project stabilizes and studies historical political and legal records, while the Mortimer Virts Ledger Research Project examines burial records created by a local coffin maker. The Society also provides mapping services for former segregated schools and invites public input on its research.