In the 1950s, the Alexandria Association imagined the Alexandria Forum as an annual showcase for the study of architecture, the related arts, and life in and around Alexandria. The first one was held in 1959 in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation called “Early Architecture of Alexandria and Northern Virginia.”  The Forum explored everything from Period Decorative Arts to the Alexandria Waterfront, with its last session in 2010. The Office of Historic Alexandria is resuming this conference and its mission to share research insights into Alexandria’s rich and complex history.

POSTPONED

Symposium on the 60th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act
to Reflect on Civil Rights History and Its Modern Impact

The American Revolution in Virginia was more than a war – it was a Revolution of Ideas that continues today. The Alexandria Forum, on the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Amendment, will explore the ways we interpret civil rights history to better engage with audiences, promote truth-telling, and racial reconciliation. The day-long symposium will feature lectures, short films, research updates, and a panel discussion. The keynote speaker, Dr. Krystyn Moon, University of Mary Washington, will present “Housing Activism in Mid-Twentieth Century Alexandria.” 

African American Research Historian for the Office of Historic Alexandria (OHA), Blake Wilson, will share updates and research on the new Duke Street Corridor Heritage Trail.

With Colored Rosemont: Fighting for Recognition and Remembrance, Dr. Francesco De Salvatore, of OHA’s Oral History Center, leads a panel discussion with former residents of the historic Black community.  

Through film, award-winning filmmaker, Robin Hamilton, will introduce her prize-winning documentary Our Alexandria, in which two artists revisit the City’s segregated past, and tell the story of family, friendship, loss and love through their historical dollhouses. In addition, Lisa Guernsey, Director, Learning Sciences Exchange, and Senior Fellow & Strategic Advisor, Education Policy Program for New America will introduce The Library Sit-in of 1939, a short video presented at SXSW.edu 2024 to illuminate New America’s initiative on this important, but little known local civil rights demonstration.

Additional talks will highlight the origins of an important African American cookbook produced in Alexandria, and on Nat Turner and Free Blacks in Alexandria. Finally, Ebonee Davis-Hayes, Director of Reparations at Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS), offers updates from the VTS Reparations Program, highlighting descendant families it impacts, and the research that fuels its work of moral and material repair.

Highlights of the symposium include:

• Keynote Address: Dr. Krystyn Moon, Professor at the University of Mary Washington, will present "Housing Activism in Mid-Twentieth Century Alexandria," a critical examination of local housing activism efforts that shaped the city’s landscape.
• Lectures, Short Films, and Panel Discussion: Throughout the day, attendees will engage with a variety of lectures and short films highlighting ongoing research into Alexandria’s civil rights history. The event will culminate in a panel discussion with scholars and activists focused on promoting historical truth and fostering racial healing.
• Networking Opportunities: The day will conclude with a networking happy hour at 4:30 p.m., offering participants the chance to connect with fellow attendees and speakers.

View news release

The 2023 symposium explored the theme of revisiting the history of the Alexandria Waterfront through new research lenses, technologies, excavations, and sources. Presentations wove together the many strands of historical evidence currently under examination, from deeds to store ledgers, from manifests to material culture, to provide new insights.

• News Release
• Schedule
• Speaker Biographies