 During the time of racial segregation in Virginia, many of the blacks in Martinsville and Henry County were not able to either finance or acquire modern housing, especially for the growing black middle class in post-war Virginia.During the 1950s when segregation was still legal, and when many banks habitually refused loans to black families, Whitney Shumate worked to provide modern housing for the under-served population.By raising private funds, he was able to bring together private, corporate and banking interests to provide financing and access to banking services for the black community.