Central Nova News

The Alexandria Community Remembrance Project (ACRP) invites attendees to a significant event at Roberts Memorial United Methodist Church on April 23 at 6 p.m. Robert P. Jones, a distinguished speaker, will address the gathering to commemorate the 128th anniversary of the lynching of Joseph McCoy.

Joseph McCoy, a Black resident of Alexandria, was accused by his white employer, Richard Lacy, of harming Lacy's daughter. Despite McCoy's denial, he was forcibly taken by a mob on April 23, 1897, and subsequently beaten, shot, and lynched without a trial.

The 2025 event will serve as a space for recognizing the injustice of McCoy's murder and its impact on Alexandria’s Black community. Robert P. Jones, president and founder of the Public Religion Research Institute, will deliver a talk titled “Between History and Hope.” Jones's latest book, "The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy and the Path to a Shared American Future," will be available for purchase at the event.

Roberts Memorial Chapel will open to the public at 5:45 p.m. for this remembrance occasion, which is being held at McCoy’s family worship site. A book signing will take place afterward in the Fellowship Hall.

The City of Alexandria will illuminate City Hall in purple from April 21 to 25, 2025, as an act of memorialization. The color represents mourning, and specific sites associated with the incident will also bear the illumination.

“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,” stated the ACRP.

The ACRP, inspired by Bryan Stevenson and the Equal Justice Initiative, strives to educate the public on racial injustice and memorialize victims like Joseph McCoy and Benjamin Thomas, another victim of lynching. The 2025 memorial includes an In Memoriam page and earlier pages available for review.

Limited parking is available near the event location. For accommodations or translation services, contact historicalexandria@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.4554.

The ACRP has been active since 2019 in helping Alexandria confront its history and foster an inclusive community. Robert P. Jones, the speaker at the event, is known for his writings on politics, culture, and religion and holds academic credentials from Emory University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

The Office of Historic Alexandria supports these efforts through storytelling and public engagement to promote equity in the community.