The 700 block of Queen Street will be closed to traffic Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. as the Alexandria Library hosts its third annual Black Family Reunion at the Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library.
The community event, running from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 717 Queen Street, aims to bring neighborhoods together and help fill gaps in the documented history of Alexandria’s African American community.
Alexandria Police announced the closure Friday morning, advising residents to plan alternate routes during the day-long celebration that combines historical preservation with community festivities.
Full Day of Programming
The event will kick off with a performance by the Samuel Tucker Elementary School Choir at 11 a.m., followed by a proclamation from Mayor Alyia Gaskins at 11:35 a.m.
Starting at 11:45 a.m., oral history recordings will begin inside the library, where attendees can simply sit down and be videotaped sharing a brief oral history. The session coincides with the start of free lunch service and line dancing tutorials.
From noon to 2 p.m., professional photographers will offer free headshots to community members. The afternoon will feature continuous music and dancing from noon to 3 p.m., alongside balloon animals and face painting for children.
A unique “historic story-walk” will also run throughout the afternoon, allowing families to learn about Alexandria’s African American heritage while exploring the area around the library.
Preserving Alexandria’s African American Heritage
Current and former residents are asked to bring yearbooks, photographs, old event flyers, or programs that can be digitized. The library will have staff on hand to catalog donations and conduct the oral history project.
To donate material during the event, attendees can either fill out a registration form online beforehand, or complete a form at the donation table. A staff member may ask questions about the material being donated in order to catalog all the participants, dates, or other relevant details.
Depending on how many items are being donated, staff may request that items be left at the library to be scanned in the following days, with arrangements made to pick up the materials once scanning is complete.
For those who cannot attend, early donations of photos and documents are being accepted online, and digital files can be uploaded directly to the archive.
Community Celebration Features
Like any reunion, it will be a party! Attendees will enjoy a variety of food trucks, music and dancing, games for kids and adults, and Black Family Reunion t-shirts. The event will also feature a local business showcase, allowing attendees to connect with Alexandria entrepreneurs and organizations.
Honorary co-chairs for this year’s event are Lawrence “Lucky” Elliott and Freida Bell Brockington.
Building on last year’s success, attendees at the 2024 Black Family Reunion recorded short oral histories where they were asked to share a memory of Alexandria when they were growing up, and reflect on how they have seen the City change over the years.
This community event is free and open to all. For questions about the archiving process or to arrange a meeting to donate larger quantities of materials, residents can call the Local History/Special Collections Branch at 703-746-1706 or email [email protected].
Traffic on Queen Street is expected to resume normal operations after 5 p.m. Saturday.
