On This Day in Alexandria History — Becoming the trademark tactic of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, the first sit-in occurred well before the era of social unrest that would characterize the decade of the 1960s. Prior to the famous Woolworth counter sit-in in Greensboro, North Carolina, five courageous African-American youths staged the first deliberate and planned sit-in at the Alexandria “public” Library on August 21, 1939 … Although this first act of defiance against the system of Jim Crow did not garner the media attention, this was the first step towards the City of Alexandria seriously considering a colored branch for its African-American citizens and facing the issue of accessibility, however unequal, for all of its citizens.” [Historic Alexandria]

Testing of Speed Cameras Happening Today — “The City of Alexandria will test school zone flashers and camera systems on Friday, August 21 ahead of the first day of school for ACPS next week. Residents may see the flashers in operation during normal weekday hours as part of the test. No citations will be issued during the testing period … School zone speed camera enforcement will resume on Monday, August 24, the first day of school for the majority of Alexandria City Public Schools.” [Alexandria T&ES]