The Alexandria Community Remembrance Project (ACRP) invites the public to Roberts Memorial United Methodist Church on Wednesday, April 23 at 6 p.m. for Between History and Hope, a commemoration to mark the 128th year since the lynching of Joseph McCoy.
On April 23, 1897, Joseph McCoy, a native Black Alexandrian was accused by his long-time white employer Richard Lacy of harming the man’s 8-year-old daughter. McCoy vehemently denied the accusation. Within hours of his arrest, a mob of hundreds of Alexandrians took the law into their own hands. They violently pulled the 18-year-old from the police station, beat, shot, and hanged him, denying Mr. McCoy due process and an opportunity to defend himself.
On Wednesday, April 23, 2025, we will acknowledge the violent miscarriage of justice and recognize that Joseph McCoy’s murder also terrorized Alexandria’s Black community. In his memory, and as part of our efforts to continue to repair and build our diverse integrated community, we will hear from a leading scholar, Robert P. Jones on the topic, “Between History and Hope.” Jones, who is president and founder of Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), is also a New York Times bestselling author, his most recent book, The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy and the Path to a Shared American Future, will be available to purchase at the event.
The doors of the historic Roberts Memorial Chapel open at 5:45 for this Remembrance Event, which was chosen because it is where McCoy’s Alexandria family worshipped. A book signing will follow in the Fellowship Hall.
Consider spending some time this week to learn more about Joseph McCoy, pay your respects at the lynching location, and view the remembrance marker. City Hall will be illuminated in purple, the color of mourning, Monday, April 21-April 25, 2025.
Visit the old police station doors on the Fairfax Street side (100 N. Fairfax) of City Hall and listen to the story of the night Joseph McCoy was taken from a cell in the building. Then walk to the corner of Cameron and Lee Streets to hear the rest of the story and reflect on what society is capable of when the rule of law is ignored and people give in to fear. (Cellphones are needed—hover over the QR code to access two short audio recordings.)
It is our hope that these acts of memorialization will provide belated accountability, reconciliation and respect for Joseph McCoy, while giving Alexandrians an opportunity to learn more about our shared past.
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. To continue to repair our community from past injustices and to keep the memory of Alexandria’s lynching victims alive, you are invited to join the Alexandria Community Remembrance Project. This city-wide social justice initiative was inspired by Bryan Stevenson and the Equal Justice Initiative. ACRP conducts research, education, programs, and events that remember Joseph McCoy and Benjamin Thomas, who was also lynched in Alexandria on August 8, 1899, and explores the long-term impacts of this history upon Alexandria’s African American community.
The 2025 memorial includes this In Memoriam page. Also view the earlier Memorial pages, from 2020 through 2024 and read the ACRP Newsletter for more information.
Please note Roberts Memorial United Methodist Church does not have a parking lot. Parking is available on side streets and behind Demaine Funeral Home on the corner of Gibbon and Washington Street.
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.
###
Since 2019, the Alexandria Community Remembrance Project has been dedicated to helping Alexandria understand its history, including incidents of racial injustice and terror, because recognizing the truth is necessary to establish a welcoming and just community for all.
About the Speaker:
Robert P. Jones is the president and founder of Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and a New York Times bestselling author. His most recent book, The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy and the Path to a Shared American Future, will be featured in his remarks on April 23, 2025. Jones writes regularly on politics, culture, and religion for The Atlantic, TIME, Religion News Service, and other outlets. He is frequently featured in major national media, such as CNN, MSNBC, NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and others. He is also the author of White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity, which won a 2021 American Book Award; and author of The End of White Christian America, which won the 2019 Grawemeyer Award in Religion. Jones writes weekly at www.whitetoolong.net, a newsletter focused on religion, racial justice, and politics. He holds a Ph.D. in religion from Emory University and an M.Div. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
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.