Alexandria Black Family Reunion
Alexandria Library
Innovation Synopsis
The Black Family Reunion was a uniquely creative endeavor to find the African American history in Alexandria. Black community members were encouraged to share photographs, documents and other artifacts from their neighborhoods, families and businesses for preservation in our historical records. The goal was also to heal generational mistrust of the Library.
Collaborating with African American churches, an inaugural block party was held. Individuals with deep ties to Black neighborhoods established the trust and partnership needed to increase donations of materials.
Hosted at the Barrett Branch Library on 4/29/23, the event attracted more than 400 attendees from across the City. It was a festive gathering with music, food trucks and representatives from City organizations and services.
We will fill deficiencies in our Local History/Special Collections archives while advancing racial healing in the community. Gathered materials are being preserved in the City’s historical records.
Challenge/Opportunity
Our challenge was to develop trust within the Alexandria Black community and encourage them to share their historical documents for preservation.
- Decades of skepticism persisted due to segregation and the 1939 Library Sit-In when Black men were arrested for attempting to use the library. Reunion attendees told us, “You know, we weren’t allowed to use this library.”
- Historians have lamented the lack of attention paid to keeping local histories using family-collected materials. In Alexandria, we looked at our local history files and saw a robust collection of “White Alexandria” but very little representation of Black communities.
- We asked for African American photographs and documents in Alexandria from 1930 to the present. These analog photographs and documents needed to be preserved because there is no guarantee materials will be passed down or securely stored.
- Traditional Black neighborhoods in Alexandria are disappearing and no longer predominantly African American.
Key Elements of Innovation
Library Director Rose Dawson was planning a family reunion when she received a call that black history was lacking in the archives. An idea hit her like a thunderbolt: Hold a fun block party and ask residents to bring their materials. This moment sparked the Black Family Reunion.
- Hosted at the Barrett Library, streets were blocked off and a stage/large tent were set up. About 20 non-profits and City agencies were invited to set up a table. The Mayor, City Council and other elected officials attended. Three food trucks and a DJ were arranged; games were planned and participants received meal tickets.
- Community members co-chaired: Local historian and genealogist Char McCargo Bah; and former Mayor William Euille. Bah convinced over 60 families to bring their “historical treasures.”
- Participants signed waivers for Library to use images; received original items back with a flash-drive/digital version.
- This was a one-of-a-kind effort to find and preserve Alexandria history.
Achieved Outcomes
The Black Family Reunion is preserving the history of the African American experience in Alexandria. Hundreds attended the first event in April 2023.
- Mayor Justin Wilson issued a City proclamation making April 29th "Alexandria Library Black Family Reunion Day." The Washington Post and WUSA TV Channel 9 DC attended. The TV reporter called the Reunion a “city-wide search for a fuller history.”
- Emphasis was on individuals, places and artifacts from the 1930s and ‘40s. Collected: 2,300 photos, 900 documents, an 18th Century family Bible, and portraits dating back 150 years.
- Images are available on our website and catalog; a daily hard-drive backup is in place.
- Libraries in Austin, Las Vegas, Sarasota, Maryland, and Virginia, have reached out to us for training on how to run a Reunion; the design can be adapted to other regions.
- And, because we have built a good working model, Alexandrians will be invited to a second Reunion Day, tentatively scheduled for September 14, 2024.
