If you're familiar with Alexander Street Press, you'll know that our headquarters is located in Alexandria, VA, just minutes down the road from the main branch of Alexandria Library. You'll also know that our mission for the last 10 years has been to make silent voices heard. Online collections like Black Thought and Culture, Black Women Writers, and Black Short Fiction and Folklore bring to light some of the most fascinating and overlooked contributions by African Americans.
It is only fitting that the first civil rights sit-in in a public facility in America took place right here in Alexandria. On August 21, 1939 Samuel Tucker organized the sit-in at Alexandria's "whites only" public library. More details about the sit-in can be found on the Library History Buff Blog. Blogger Larry T. Nix also includes links to the Alexandria Black History Museum Web site, which has more information about Tucker and the sit-in.
In 2000, the City of Alexandria's newest elementary school was dedicated to Samuel Tucker. A brief biography and more information can be found on the school's Web site.
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