DANVILLE, Va. – Patchwork 250 is a new initiative from WSLS 10 that tells Virginia’s story, one piece at a time. Like a quilt made of many patches, every person, story, and tradition adds something special to our history. Join us as we celebrate 250 years by sharing the stories that make our region unique, one patch at a time.
On June 10, 1963, when myriads of peaceful protesters descended on the streets of Danville, they didn’t know they were walking in the footsteps of history and paving the way for equality. While they might not have realized they were taking part in a major turning point, there was one thing they were certain of: it was time for a change.
More than 60 years later, 10 News sat down with those who lived through the monumental events of Bloody Monday, a peaceful protest in Danville that turned violent.
Dorothy Batson was young when she joined the civil rights movement in Danville. Despite her age, she says fear never kept her from marching.
“Bloody Monday is probably the only time that I really felt scared,” Batson recalled. “We were taught how to protect ourselves from the firehose and dogs.”
In 1963, Danville, like much of the country, was deeply segregated. Black citizens were fighting for basic rights, including the right to peacefully protest.
“You always hear about the Mississippis, and Alabamas, and Georgias. But the movement took place all over the South, and Danville was no different,” Batson said.
According to historian Karice Luck Brimmer, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visited Danville four times that year. But on June 10, it was local leaders who stood at the front of the movement.
“They unleashed the dogs and the firehoses, and these freshly doctored up billy clubs,” Brimmer said.
Batson was at the center of it all. She remembers gathering at the jail to pray and sing for those who had been arrested when police turned violent.
“I was injured running down the stairs trying to get away,” she said.
She told us others faced even worse.
Funeral homes offered hearses to transport the injured to the hospital.
“There were people who were bleeding. There was one woman who was so severely beaten she had to be taken to a special hospital,” Batson said.
Dottie Zellner, who worked with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and was documenting the events in Danville, described her own experience in 2020: “When I was on the ground, that’s what made it even more strange. To this day, I think about that. I mean, I was already on the ground, I was clearly not armed. I weighed 106 pounds. And I was on my way up to my feet when (the policeman) hit me over the head. So it was an act of gratuitous cruelty.”
Brimmer noted that Danville police had even deputized white business owners along Main Street.
“Anyone could beat you that day, legally, that was deputized by the Danville Police Department,” she said.
The events of Bloody Monday drew national attention, just months before the March on Washington. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. returned to Danville in July.
“One of the things that stood out was that Danville had one of the most brutal police forces he had ever seen,” Brimmer said.
For Batson, the memories are still vivid, but she says she’s grateful for the progress that has been made.
“I’m grateful to God that I’m still alive to see some of the changes.”
Still, she believes there is more work to be done.
“We all are human. I bleed just like any other human.”
As Danville reflects on its past, the legacy of Bloody Monday serves as a reminder of the courage and resilience of those who fought for justice—and the ongoing journey toward equality.
Want to discover more stories that make Virginia unique? Visit the Patchwork 250 page to explore the full quilt of our region’s history, one patch at a time.