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  • Live

    Make the most of Alexandria's outstanding quality of life with information and services of interest to residents.

    • Be Prepared

      Are you ready? Find resources and information to help residents, businesses and visitors to prepare for all types of emergencies, and to stay safe.

      • Flooding Preparedness
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      There are many opportunities to get involved to help better the City of Alexandria. Opportunities include serving on a Board, Commission or Committee, providing input on a new City project or speaking at a City Council meeting.

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      Information on how to get to and through the City of Alexandria, including walking, biking, bus, rail, air, ridesharing, and more.

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    • Historic Preservation

      Historic Alexandria is a treasure trove of early structures, artifacts, and records that creates a unique way of life for its citizens and provides enjoyment for thousands of people who visit this special community every year. The City continues to add resources to its collection of local and nationally designated historic districts.

      • Alexandria History
      • Board of Architectural Review
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      Find out whether a permit is required, the type of permit needed, fees involved, and what requirements are necessary for the activity you want to engage in Alexandria.

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      Information about parking in the City of Alexandria, including parking options, enforcement, districts and permits.

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      Alexandria is committed to ensuring our residents thrive through physical, mental, and social health.

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      Agencies and programs that help maintain our safety and overall quality of life. These links contain information about the City of Alexandria's law enforcement agencies and public safety organizations, courts and judicial system.

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      Learn more about how the City maintains streets, sidewalks, bridges, and other infrastructure in the City.

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      • Payments
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    • Schools & Libraries

      Did you know that ACPS is one of the most diverse school systems in the country? Our students come from more than 80 different countries, speak more than 60 languages, and represent a myriad of ethnic and cultural groups. The Alexandria Library is an educational, user-oriented service institution providing free public access to recorded knowledge and ideas.

      • Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS)
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      The City provides public assistance as a safety net for individuals and families, including help with homelessness prevention, food, rent, utilities, medical coverage and prescriptions, job training and placement assistance, and much more.

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      The City of Alexandria does not operate any public utilities. The following companies are the primary providers of their respective service:

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      • Sewage/Water Treatment (Alex Renew)
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  • Play

    Whether you live here or are just visiting, Alexandria is a great place to shop, dine, take in the arts, get outdoors, and just have fun.

    • About Alexandria

      If you are looking for small-town charm and big-city amenities, Alexandria is the place to find them. Alexandria has a fascinating history, and many of its historic buildings are still preserved today. The City's many historic homes, churches, businesses, and museums allow residents and visitors alike to experience the past that makes it the charming town it is today.

      • Alexandria's History
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      Through engaging the community, encouraging participation, and facilitating access to arts and culture, the City builds a vibrant community for its residents, workers, and visitors.

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      Alexandria is a desirable location to live, work and play. The City owns many of the premier historic sites in Alexandria and it is charged with the conservation, interpretation and promotion of these links to the past.

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    • Parks & Recreation

      Alexandria is an active community that offers more than 900 acres of parks and dedicated public space, and a wide variety of neighborhood and recreation centers, pools, dog parks, farmers' markets, waterfront activities and more.

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    • Visit Alexandria

      Information about visiting Alexandria, including shopping, dining, attractions, accommodations, events listings and more. Plan your visit with an itinerary builder, interactive maps, hotel booking, online restaurant reservations and much more.

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  • Services

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      Geographic Information Systems (GIS) centrally manages, shares and analyzes information about locations through specialized mapping technology. This information increases transparency, improves many City technology applications and provides critical data to decision makers and the public.

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    • Parks & Recreation

      Alexandria is an active community that offers more than 900 acres of parks and dedicated public space, and a wide variety of neighborhood and recreation centers, pools, dog parks, farmers' markets, waterfront activities and more.

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    • Property & Housing

      The City administers various housing-related programs and services.

      • Housing Master Plan
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    • Public Health & Wellness

      Alexandria is committed to ensuring our residents thrive through physical, mental, and social health.

      • Aging & Adult Services
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    • Public Safety & Courts

      Agencies and programs that help maintain our safety and overall quality of life. These links contain information about the City of Alexandria's law enforcement agencies and public safety organizations, courts and judicial system.

      • Fire Department
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      • Bridge Maintenance
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      The City collects car and real estate taxes, maintains tax relief programs and assesses property values. Taxes can be paid in a variety of ways including online, by phone and by mail.

      • Payments
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    • Social Services

      The City provides public assistance as a safety net for individuals and families, including help with homelessness prevention, food, rent, utilities, medical coverage and prescriptions, job training and placement assistance, and much more.

      • Aging & Adult Services
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      Find information on the City's refuse, recycling and yard waste collection programs.

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      Information on how to get to and through the City of Alexandria, including walking, biking, bus, rail, air, ridesharing, and more.

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  • Business

    Ideally located just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., Alexandria is nationally recognized as one of the best places to live and do business on the east coast. Learn how we can help you start or relocate your business in Alexandria, and access resources for existing businesses and commuters.

    • Business Resources

      The City provides services and resources to help existing businesses expand within the City and promotes recruiting new businesses in Alexandria.

      • Alexandria Economic Development Partnership (AEDP)
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      Alexandria offers wide range of job opportunities and services. Work for City government or City Public Schools, find out about an internship opportunity or learn about workforce development and career training options.

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      Find out whether a permit is required, the type of permit needed, fees involved, and what requirements are necessary for the activity you want to engage in Alexandria.

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      Information on how to get to and through the City of Alexandria, including walking, biking, bus, rail, air, ridesharing, and more.

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  • Government

    Learn more about Alexandria's accountable, effective, and well-managed government.

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      The Alexandria City Council is composed of a Mayor and six Council members who are elected at-large for three-year terms. The Mayor, who is chosen on a separate ballot, presides over meetings of the Council and serves as the ceremonial head of government.

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In Memoriam 2020: Joseph McCoy April 23, 1897

The April 23, 2020 City-wide remembrance planned in memory of Joseph McCoy, who was lynched in Alexandria on this day in 1897, has been moved to this In-Memoriam page.
Page updated on May 6, 2022 at 9:53 AM

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In Memoriam: Joseph McCoy April 23, 1897

Wreath in memory of Joseph McCoy, lynched in 1897

The April 23, 2020 City-wide remembrance planned in memory of Joseph McCoy, who was lynched in Alexandria on this day in 1897, has been moved to this In Memoriam page.

The City of Alexandria is committed to the accurate dissemination of its history. The murder of Joseph McCoy is recognized as a terrible chapter in Alexandria’s past. To fight injustice and to keep the memory of Alexandria’s lynching victims alive, you are invited to participate in the  Alexandria Community Remembrance Project. As part of this community reflection, please share your thoughts, artwork, or creative writing after viewing the information on this In Memoriam page. Email your work to HistoricAlexandria@alexandriava.gov. Selections will be posted below in the digital guestbook. 

In Honor of Joseph McCoy

Proclamatiton

Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson reads a Proclamation in honor of lynching victim Joseph McCoy who was murdered on April 23, 1897. This Proclamation acknowledges both of Alexandria ‘s lynching victims and is a formal apology from The City of Alexandria for past racial injustice. 

 

 

 

A Poem for Joseph McCoy

KaNikki Jakarta, 2020. Poet Lauriate of Alexandria

Feeling in Blanks ... For Joseph McCoy

© KaNikki Jakarta, Poet Laureate of Alexandria, Virginia April 17, 2020 

Black Boy
Born to Ann and Samuel as Reconstruction ended
And the era of Jim Crow started
Left many family members broken hearted 
Before his life as a man officially began
A sorrowful trend amongst black families
Tugging on heart strings to rejoice or weep
when black boys are birthed
A blessing and a curse on a family tree
Because we’re never sure if someone will kill you
And write you down in history untrue
After accusing you of crimes like 
Assaulting someone white
Talking back to someone white
Looking at someone white
Whistling at someone white
Despite putting up a fight or screaming a denial
You might get a trial
But it will be unjust 
Although you initially denied it all
I think you thought it was best to confess…
This is not a history that belongs to you alone
And if you would have grown
Just a bit older
You may have cried on someone’s shoulder 
Two years later over another black boy named Benjamin Thompson 
Who shares this story too
I wish I could talk to you
I would ask you what really took place
I wish I could look upon your face 
to hear your story
The way that you would have it told
The way that circumstances would unfold
On April 23, 1897
Truth is, I want to pen your story
But the newspapers don’t show
What happened all of those years ago
But this is what I know…
You were born Joseph McCoy
You had four siblings and you were the youngest boy
And before you were ever thought to be
Your grandmother Cecilia McCoy was born free
More than a half century
Before you were lynched 
Hanged from a lamppost and shot multiple times
No family members would claim your body
And no one was ever charged with a crime
But, this is not the part of your story that I would want to tell
I don’t want to recap the horrible night a mob of 500 retrieved you from jail
I don’t want to write about your how your funeral was held 
Instead, 
I would like to highlight 
That despite the fact you didn’t celebrate your 21st birthday
Today, 
123 Years Later
You are celebrated
You are remembered 
A legend, a light
Shining bright 
even in your absence 
An ancestor whose story far surpassed the details of your death
A part of history that will let in peace be the way you rest
No one remembers the names of the people who took your life
They don’t get glory for spreading bitterness and strife
But you
Joseph McCoy
A black boy
Born to Ann and Samuel as Reconstruction ended
And the era of Jim Crow started
Whose death left many family members broken hearted 
Before his life as a man officially began
A horrific trend 
In black history
Another tragedy
But your history will be one remembered alongside 
Others who were also lynched, shot, or hanged
But we will remember your name
Because your history is within my pen now
Within my words now
A black writer
Who decided to write about you in a positive way
But still today
We are left with the question 
Who could you have grown to be? 
If they would not have killed you

A Prayer in honor of Joseph McCoy

In 1897, Rev. William Gaines of Robert’s Chapel, now known as Roberts United Methodist Memorial Church, led the funeral service for Joseph McCoy. In this video, the church’s current pastor, James Daniely, offers remarks and lifts a prayer as if he had been conducting McCoy’s funeral. The clip reflects the religious beliefs of McCoy and his family. The City of Alexandria respects all faiths and is an inclusive community. This video clip is not an endorsement of any one faith. 

 

The Lynching of Joseph H McCoy: A Narrative

Map of the events of April 23, 1897

On the evening of April 22, 1897, 19-year-old Alexandrian Joseph McCoy was arrested without a warrant, dragged from his cell by a mob, and brutally lynched at the southeast corner of Cameron and Lee Streets. The full account of this hate crime was methodically researched by the 13-member Research Committee of the Alexandria Community Remembrance Project.

The Lynching of Joseph H. McCoy, April 23, 1897

Map of the events of April 23

Joseph McCoy: A Tragic Death and its Impact

An op ed piece by Audrey P. Davis, Director, Alexandria Black History Museum, April 23, 2020

On August 8, 2019, I wrote an editorial to acknowledge the lynching of Benjamin Thomas, which occurred on that date in 1899. Today, I write on the anniversary of the lynching of Joseph McCoy. He was killed on April 23, 1897.

Both terrible events happened near Market Square and City Hall, then the location of Alexandria’s police station. Both McCoy and Thomas were brutally murdered by mobs, just steps from the agency that should have provided them protection. Their bodies were mutilated, and they were denied the right to a fair trial. Their deaths were among the 100 documented lynchings that occurred in Virginia, 11 of them in Northern Virginia, between 1882 and 1968. 

Last year, I also wrote about the Alexandria Community Remembrance Project. This project launched Alexandria’s formal collaboration with the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), which interprets America’s history of racial terror lynchings as a tool to dominate and intimidate. The project is inspired by EJI’s National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama. The memorial includes over 800 steel monuments, or pillars, one for each city or county in the United States where a lynching took place, with the names of the lynching victims engraved on the pillars. As a community, Alexandria will gather soil at the lynching site for display at EJI’s Legacy Museum and arrange for markers in Alexandria at the lynching sites. One of the most important goals is bringing the Alexandria pillar (with both McCoy and Thomas’ names) from Alabama to Alexandria for placement in a prominent public location.

Toward that end, seven committees have developed out of the Community Remembrance Project: Public Outreach; Education & Programming; Marketing; Marker and Soil Collection; Research; Fundraising; and Public Pilgrimage to EJI. Each committee’s mission is to educate the public and make the installation of the pillar a reality. 

In the last year, much has happened. The City began with a September 2019 community meeting and a keynote speech by Kiara Boone from the Equal Justice Initiative. Her mandate from EJI -- to own and learn from our ugly history -- has set the tone for the project. More than 300 people attended this meeting, including state and City officials, faith leaders, and community organization representatives.

Subsequently, we have held quarterly community meetings featuring invited speakers such as Krystyn R. Moon and Spencer Crew. Dr. Moon is a Professor of History and the Director of American Studies at the University of Mary Washington. Dr. Crew is the interim director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Dr. Moon spoke on the struggles of Alexandria’s African American community to gain equality, while Dr. Crew shared the social justice work being done by the NMAAHC and how social justice ethics have guided his career in museums. 

This April, during the dark days of a pandemic, our social justice work moves forward. The City had planned a large community gathering at the McCoy lynching site, located at the corner of Lee and Cameron Streets, on April 23. Due to recent guidelines from the CDC, we have changed the format of this gathering, and we are using other ways to tell McCoy’s story and to educate the public about lynching.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shed a spotlight on inequalities that still threaten our nation and culture and question our humanity. Is access to health care equal? Are educational and career paths available to all? While many can shelter in place with relative ease, what of those who cannot? 

Alexandria’s Community Remembrance Project aims to make Alexandria a stronger community. We must face the ugliness of our past and the horrors inflicted on those with no recourse. By doing this, we stand against hate, inequality and work to embrace the humanity of everyone in Alexandria and beyond. We apologize for past injustice and use restorative justice to strengthen our ties. 

Today, remember Joseph McCoy. Let his murder be more than a horrible footnote in Alexandria’s history and an example of vigilante justice. Join the Alexandria Community Remembrance Project and help make Alexandria the most inclusive and welcoming of cities. Our success is in these endeavors is the legacy of Joseph McCoy and Benjamin Thomas.

In the News

The Anniversary of the Lynching of Joseph McCoy.

Opinion piece by Audrey Davis, Director, Alexandria Black History Museum 
The Alexandria Gazette Packet , April 23-29, 2020, page 6.

Joseph McCoy was lynched by a mob in 1897. At a virtual remembrance, officials vowed not to forget.

Retropolis, By Michael E. Ruane. The Washington Post, April 24, 2020, page B4.

Social Justice Reading List

About the Reading List

In honor of Joseph McCoy, City of Alexandria Library staff have curated a list of social justice reading for adults and for youth. We hope you will find these selections educational, and moving. These titles - both fiction and nonfiction - provide context for discussion of race, class, violence and American society.

Readings for Teens

  • A Very Large Expanse of Sea - Tahereh Mafi
  • All American Boys - Jason Reynolds & Brendan Kiely
  • All-American Muslim Girl - Nadine Jolie Courtney
  • Anger is a Gift - Mark Oshiro
  • Dear Martin - Nic Stone
  • Here to Stay - Sara Farizan
  • How I Resist - Maureen Johnson
  • March Series - John Lewis
  • Out of Darkness - Ashley Hope Perez
  • Piecing Me Together - Renee Watson
  • Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning - Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi.

  • Slay - Brittney Morris
  • The Good Braider - Terry Farish
  • The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas
  • The Lines We Cross - Randa Abdel-Fattah
  • The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights - Steve Sheinkin

Readings for Adults

  • Between the World and Me - Ta'Nehesi Coates
  • Blackballed: The Black Vote and US Democracy - Darryl Pinckney
  • Ebony & Ivory: Race, Slavery, and the Troubled History of America's Universities - Craig Wilder
  • Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower - Brittney Cooper
  • For White Folks Who Teach In the 'Hood…And the Rest of Y'all, Too - Christopher Emdin
  • How To Be An Antiracist - Ibram X. Kendi
  • Men We Reaped - Jessmyn Ward
  • Of Poetry & Protest: From Emmett Till to Trayvon Martin - Philip Cushway
  • Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in America - Melissa Harris-Perry
  • So You Want To Talk About Race - Ijeoma Oluo
  • Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America - Ibram X. Kendi
  • The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness - Michelle Alexander
  • We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy - Ta'Nehesi Coates
  • When They Call You A Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir - Patrisse Khan - Cullors & Asha Bandele
  • White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Race - Robin DiAngelo

Readings Related to Teaching Children about Race, Racism, Slavery, and Racial Terror Lynching

  • RES (Racial and Ethnic Socialization): Developed by the American Psychological Association, this resource focuses on building and reinforcing positive outcomes in African American children. The resources, directed towards parents, caregivers, and educators of African American children and youth (ages 5-18) may prove helpful in the museum education context.
  • Engaging my Child: Towards the bottom of the parent resource page, there is a break-down of discussing race and ethnicity by the age of child.
  • EmbraceRace: This non-profit describes itself as “a multiracial community of parents, teachers, experts, and other caring adults who support each other to meet the challenges that race poses to our children, families, and communities.” Scroll the webinars to listen to or read the transcripts of them—don’t miss “How Children Learn about Race” and “How to Address Racial Injustice with Young Children” in this section. Tips and recommendations related to book selection are found throughout the site.
  • Teaching for Change: Building Social Justice Starting in the Classroom has a “Teaching Resources” section of its website that includes everything from overarching themes like Anti-Bias Education to specific topics like Civil Rights. The News section is incredibly helpful in keeping up with the latest happening in and adjacent to the field. The thought-piece on “When and How to Talk with Young Children about Enslavement: Discussion Questions for Educators” within News provides good questions for conversation and consideration 
  • Teaching Tolerance: “Let’s Talk: Discussing Race, Racism and Other Difficult Topics with Students” is one of Learning for Justice’s many helpful resources. The pamphlet focuses on facilitating difficult dialogues with student groups. It includes a self-reflection section, facilitation techniques, and suggestions for adjusting strategies for K-5 students
  • Learning for Justice's blog post: This blog post on Learning for Justice’s website includes a helpful quick reference of do’s and don’ts for teaching slavery to students.
  • DC Area Educators 4 Social Justice: As we seek to connect with and meaningfully contribute to what the community is already doing, this is a great network and resource for Alexandria museum educators to be a part of.
  • Talk with Children about Slavery: This resource was developed by a mom and activist who wanted to help others talk to their kids about race, social justice, and other crucial issues. Her blog links to a lot of other resources beyond her own.
  • Smithsonian Magazine, Indigenous Peoples’ Day: A useful article with links to additional resources as we rethink programming around what was Columbus Day and is now recognized as Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Alexandria.
  • Understanding Race: The American Anthropological Association Race Project website features a family guide for discussing race with children.

Digital Guest Book

About the Guest Book

As part of this community reflection, share your thoughts, artwork, or creative writing after viewing the information on this In Memoriam page. Email your work to historicalexandria@alexandriava.gov. Selections will be posted on this web page.

Statement by Arnecia Moody, LCSW

This In Memoriam  page honors lynching victim Joseph McCoy, murdered on April 23,1897. The very act of lynching is meant to promote terror and fear. Lynching images are disturbing and they are not included on this site due to their horrific nature. Still, we know that some will find the written content extremely disturbing and that is very normal. Even trained therapists find this material hard to digest. Please read the following piece by Arnecia Moody, LCSW one of the therapists who works with the Alexandria EJI Community Remembrance Project. Here, she reflects on a February community meeting about Joseph McCoy.

Response to Joseph McCoy’s Lynching

The dictionary defines lynching as “putting to death by mob action, usually a hanging without legal authority.” The Equal Justice Initiative defines “lynching as a violent and public event that traumatized black people throughout the country and were largely tolerated by state and federal officials.” I start with the definition of lynching to summarize the emotions that irrupted in my heart and soul while participating in the memorial journey of the lynching of Joseph McCoy. After walking this commemorative journey (on February 23, 2020, with Alexandria Community Remembrance Project committee members), I was struck by the overwhelming terror my ancestors experienced. I was also struck by the continuing struggles of the bonds of systemic racism that slavery and other forms of social oppression and controls are built. I felt empathy for my ancestors and saddens for African American people during this journey. I felt disheartened because these racist practices are built into the fibers of America, the America that we as African Americans live in today.

The one thing that resonated with me was how helpless Joseph McCoy, his relatives, and the other African Americans must have felt during that period.

This experience triggered emotions of Black people’s pain and suffering. After the walk, we listened to Strange Fruit by Billie Holiday, which was a fitting end to an emotional day.

Arnecia Moody, LCSW-C, LCSW, LICSW

Richard Merritt

Bryan Stevenson, the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, wrote: "Racial healing cannot take place until the country faces the truth about its history." The acknowledgement, apology for and commemoration of the lynching of Joseph McCoy should be regarded as a major step in our city's ongoing struggle toward racial healing.

Richard Merritt

James R. Morgan III

This was an awesome way to remember this tragic event.

James R. Morgan III

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