Central Nova News

The City of Alexandria is proud to announce that the Alexandria Community Remembrance Project (ACRP) was honored with a Service Award from the Alexandria branch of the NAACP.

A city-wide initiative that educates citizens about Alexandria’s history of racial terror hate crimes, the ACRP’s goal is to create a welcoming community through equity and inclusion. This initiative was formed by City Council in 2019 with a steering committee comprised of city agencies, faith leaders, and community leaders. More than 300 community members participate in the committees, programs, and remembrance events that honor the lost lives of lynching victims Joseph McCoy (lynched on April 23, 1897) and Benjamin Thomas (lynched on August 8, 1899).

Presented at the Alexandria NAACP’s 90th Anniversary Freedom Fund Gala, the Service Award is given to community leaders and programs that demonstrate exceptional dedication to social change and civil rights.

According to the Director of the Office of Historic Alexandria, Gretchen Bulova, who serves as a co-chair for the ACRP Steering Committee along with Director of Alexandria’s African American History Division, Audrey Davis, "This award recognizes the important work we do each and every day, of bringing the Alexandria community together to acknowledge our history of racial terror, while showing the progress individuals in this city are making by showing up, being vulnerable, and staying involved. The work is not complete and is not easy, but this award gives us the motivation to keep working towards Dr. King's vision of being a beloved community."

Visit the ACRP webpage for more information about upcoming programming, the history of lynching in Alexandria, and to sign up for the monthly newsletter.

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. 

Original source can be found here.