40 Years, 40 Faces: Barbara

Norfolk, Virginia

Barbara creates beautiful handwritten notes for special documents and letters for members of her Suffolk community and for her church, where she’s the Clerk. She knows how valuable the personal touch is when reaching out to others. She’s always been a reader and a writer because her mother taught Barbara and her siblings those crucial skills when they were very young. Her cursive handwriting is a talent she’s never lost, even after suffering three strokes. Barbara has graduated from a walker to her present “fashion statement” cane. Although she was once a nurse who helped countless patients, Barbara feels now as though she helps even more people in her new life by pausing for a moment to simply let others know she’s thinking about them.

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“40 Years, 40 Faces” was a 2018 photography and storytelling project marking VPLC’s 40th anniversary. Photographer Glen McClure and writer Marshall McClure documented Virginians impacted by VPLC’s work, using portraits and interviews to highlight resilience, dignity, and the ongoing fight for justice.