The second quarter 2009 edition of the Virginia Economic Trends features the expansion plans of the Robert Russa Moton Museum in Farmville, the site of a 1951 student walkout which was part of a string of events leading to the landmark Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision. The museum is an anchor site of the Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail in Southside Virginia. The expansion project and the expected increase in visitors to the museum will bring economic benefits to this area of the state in addition to the educational and cultural benefits.

The Southside region of Virginia has seen increased unemployment due to the recession and the Danville metropolitan area is a good example of this. The unemployment rate in Danville has been in double digits since October 2008. As of March 2009, the unemployment rate was 12.1%, below the peak of 12.9% reached in January. The national unemployment rate in March 2009 was 8.5%, its peak in the current recession to that point. Among Virginia’s metro areas, Danville had the highest unemployment rate in March followed by Blacksburg (9.1%) and Bristol (8.8%).