Alexandria Library And Community Are Preserving City’s Black History

By NJG Newswire
ALEXANDRIA, VA

For the third year in a row, the Alexandria Library is hosting the Black Family Reunion to bring the African-American community together and help fill the gaps in the community’s documented history. This award-winning event returns to the Barrett Branch Library in Old Town on Saturday, September 6, 2025 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The event was created to improve the Library’s sparse local history archival collection.

“In short, we realized a few years ago that our local history archive was missing documents and artifacts to fully and correctly represent the African-American community in Alexandria. We created this event to fill that gap and preserve the community’s history before it was lost to time,” says Nathan Carrick, Senior Communications Officer for the Alexandria Library.

African-American families are encouraged to bring documents and images to be scanned and added to the Library’s Local History/Special Collections archive so they will be preserved as part of the City’s historical record.

“This event has truly struck a chord,” says Library Director Rose Dawson. “We knew it was our responsibility to ensure our Local History archives told Alexandria’s whole story, but we’ve been blown away by the energy, support, and enthusiasm this community has shown for the Black Family Reunion from the start. It’s confirmation that we’re on the right track.”

This year’s event will feature food from Rocklands Barbecue, Flavor Hive, and District Small Bites, sweet treats from MmmGoodies and Hace Frio, music from local DJ Regy Reg, line dance lessons, free T-shirts, giveaways, professional headshots, and more. Attendees can even donate a story or memory to the archive by recording a mini oral history video at the event! View the schedule and event poster at alexlibraryva.org/Black-family-reunion.

This year the Library has partnered with two Honorary Co-Chairs who bring their deep community ties and historical knowledge to the event: Freida Bell Brockington and Lawrence “Lucky” Elliott.

Brockington says, “Especially now, it is so important that our Alexandria community – particularly our young people – have a positive and accurate memory of our city’s history. The Alexandria African-American community has played a dynamic and influential role on a portion of both our city’s history and in the civil rights movement. I carry a vivid picture of who we are today and where we came from, and it is those memories we must preserve as we move into the future.

“Events such as the Black Family Reunion unite us as a community, bringing people together from across the city. I am excited about this event because it represents the very spirit of how we should define ourselves – not only as a community, but as a nation – now and in the years to come.”

The Reunion is free and open to the public. Donating to the archives is encouraged but not required, and all attendees can enjoy music, games, food, and more. Contributions to the archive can be made on the day of the Reunion and before or after the event by scheduling an appointment with the Local History/Special Collections staff via phone or email (703.746.1706, lhsc@alexlibraryva.org). Online donations of digitized materials can be made at any time.

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The Reunion begins at 11 a.m. and includes a performance by the Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School choir honoring the 1939 Library Sit-In, followed by a proclamation delivered by Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins.

Early donations of photos and documents are now being accepted online. If you are unable to attend the Reunion or would like to donate early, please complete the online donation form and upload your materials directly to the Archive. This form may also be used to pre-register for in-person donations on the day of the Reunion.

For more information about the event, please visit alexlibraryva.org/Black-family-reunion.