Nell Draper-Winston, a life-long resident of Richmond, Virginia, graduated from Virginia Union University with a BA in Sociology in 1962 and pursued a career in Social Work. A civil rights activist, she protested in 1960 with other VUU students as part of the Human Dignity Campaign against discriminatory practices by Thalhimers and other retail stores.

Sister to the late photographer Louis Draper, she is working in retirement to broaden her brother’s legacy, especially in their hometown of Richmond. Through her efforts, Louis Draper’s photography has been recently featured in The New York Times and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.  

Photo by Briget Ganske