[Archived] Civil Rights Sunday

Teaching Families about the Civil Rights Locally and Nationally-August 10 from 2-4 PM

The Alexandria Black History Museum, in cooperation with the Living Legends of Alexandria/Family Legends Project, will present Civil Rights Sunday on August 10, 2014, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. This educational and fun event is free and open to the public.

This event will feature four aspects of civil rights. 

Museum director Audrey Davis will open the program with a brief overview of the current exhibition at the museum, “Sit Down and Take a Stand: Samuel Wilbert Tucker and 1939 Alexandria Library Sit-in.” The 75th anniversary of this historic event occurs in 2014, and was one of the earliest civil rights actions in the United States.

Howard Feinstein will read an excerpt from his book, Fire on the Bayou: True Tales from The Civil Rights Battlefront. This new book chronicles Mr. Feinstein’s experiences as a federal hate crimes prosecutor in the deep South. Mr. Feinstein will be available to sign copies of the book which has been nominated for a 2014 Dayton Literary Peace Prize. Proceeds from sales will be donated to Empowered Women International.

Rana Jafar Yaseen  will speak about women’s rights.  Ms. Yaseen is a poet and artist from Iraq and was the featured speaker at Empowered Women International’s (EWI) recent graduation.

Attorney Partap Singh Verma, a first generation Indian American, will share family stories of migration and activism.

To conclude the program, families may share a story of a personal civil rights experience and join artist Sushmita Mazumdar for a storytelling/book making activity.  Participants will make a book they can take home which can become a family keepsake.  This activity is suitable for adults and children 10 years and over.

Attendees may come for all or any part of the program.  Reservations are required for the bookmaking workshop. Participation in the workshop will be limited to the first 20 people who reserve for that portion of the program.  This is event is free.

For information about any part of the program and reservations, please call 703-746-4356.

The Alexandria Black History Museum is located at 902 Wythe Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314, in the Parker-Gray Historic District.  The Museum is five blocks from the Braddock Road Metro Station on the Yellow or Blue lines. Street parking is available. For information about the museum, visit www.alexblackhistory.org