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Eugene Diggs residence added to landmarks register

It was the home of African American attorney Eugene Diggs, who fought for civil rights and social justice in Hampton Roads during the Jim Crow era.

NORFOLK, Va. — At one point, the front lawn of the home of Eugene Diggs was defiled with a burning cross, the result of the prominent African American lawyer's work with the Civil Rights movement. 

Now that lawn -- and the house that it surrounds -- has found its way to the Virginia Landmark Register.

Born in 1883, Diggs went on to graduate from Howard University Law School. Built from 1919 to 1923, his home became as much a symbol of his activism as his degree. 

As a lawyer, he worked to integrate Virginia beaches and schools, while taking on lawsuits that helped numerous African Americans win their freedom. 

As a homeowner, his residence on East Virginia Beach Boulevard became a sanctuary for black artists, activists, and politicians as they traveled through the area. Thurgood Marshall and Carter G. Woodson are among the many to have spent time there during the Jim Crow era. 

While Diggs spearheaded local Civil Rights movements, his home became its residence.

The house still sits on East VB Blvd, seemingly like every other lot on one of Norfolk's busiest roads. But beneath the surface is that history of hard work, courage, and altruism that will now be rightly memorialized as a landmark.

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