The Martinsville-Henry County Historical Society will present its Sunday Afternoon Lecture Series on Sunday, Feb. 16, at 3 p.m. at the Historic Henry County Courthouse. The event will feature Hunter Haskins, who will discuss “Readjusting the Old Dominion: The Forgotten Rise and Fall of Virginia’s Readjuster Movement.”
Haskins will share the story of the Readjusters, a long-overlooked 1880s Virginia political movement that implemented significant socioeconomic reforms benefiting both whites and African Americans. The movement emerged in response to Virginia’s debt crisis, advocating for fiscal policies that protected public services and education. During their brief political dominance from 1879 to 1883, the Readjusters reshaped the state’s education system and infrastructure, promoting inclusivity across racial and economic lines. However, the movement’s impact was largely erased from historical narratives for more than a century.
Haskins is the assistant director of the Salem Museum and a Roanoke College graduate with a background in history, political science, and public history. He previously taught at Carlisle School and worked at the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum as a docent, interpreter, and blacksmith. He also serves as secretary of the Martinsville-Henry County Historical Society.
Admission is free, and the Martinsville-Henry County Heritage Museum will be open following the lecture. The Historic Henry County Courthouse is fully handicapped accessible.
