Joseph McCoy Remembrance Event 2026
On Thursday, April 23, the City of Alexandria, led by the Alexandria Community Remembrance Project, will acknowledge and remember the lynching of native son, Joseph McCoy, at an evening event at Roberts Memorial United Methodist Church, 606 South Washington St.
The widely published Dr. Rodney Sadler is the keynote speaker for this free secular program that will begin at 7 pm. He plans to explore the historic use of violence by those invested with authority and power, with remarks titled, “Governed by Fear and Hate: The Tools of the Supremacist State.”
In the first hour of April 23, 1897, Joseph McCoy was lynched on the corner of Lee and Cameron Streets. Since 2019, ACRP has shared this history and held events to acknowledge that McCoy, a citizen of Alexandria, was accused, arrested, taken from police custody and killed by a mob that local authorities refused to stop and whose members were never held accountable. While Joseph McCoy’s civil rights were violated and dismissed, his accusers and murderers were protected. The Black community was traumatized by the lynching and the violent nights that followed when armed citizens, police and the Alexandria Light Infantry patrolled the streets in search of imaginary agitators and insurrectionists.
Roberts Memorial United Methodist Church, one of the most historic Black churches in Alexandria, was the home church for the McCoy family. This will be the second time Roberts Memorial will host the secular Remembrance event. Reception begins at 6:30 p.m. Parking is permitted at Demaine Funeral Home and where available on nearby streets.
Rev. Dr. Sadler heads up the Center for Social Justice and Reconciliation at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he focuses on the nexus of race, faith, and politics. He has a number of connections to the District and NOVA, he is a graduate of Howard University and has been a senior fellow at George Mason University’s Center for World Religion, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution.
About the Alexandria Community Remembrance Project
The Alexandria Community Remembrance Project (ACRP) is a city-wide initiative dedicated to helping Alexandria understand our shared history in an effort to create a welcoming community and a culture of belonging. Visit the ACRP webpage to learn more.
About the Office of Historic Alexandria
The Office of Historic Alexandria preserves and shares the history of the City of Alexandria with eight museums, historic sites, archives, archaeology, tours, exhibits and public programs. Through powerful storytelling and confronting the City’s past, Historic Alexandria enriches the present and inspires the future. We enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors and serve as a partner in the City’s equity and inclusion initiatives. For more information, visit alexandriava.gov/Historic.
For reasonable disability accommodation, contact Nicole Quinn at historicalexandria@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.4554, Virginia Relay 711.
If you prefer communication in another language, free interpretation and translation services are available to you, please email LanguageAccess@alexandriava.gov or call 703-746-3960.