Alexandria Black History Museum — Attraction in Alexandria

Unfortunately, my visit to the Alexandria Black History Museum was not the greatest. -March 18, 2023

Based on visits to other local Black American Museums, the expectations were not met. The location was very small with limited items on display. There was no timeline of events reflective of those experiencing the hardships of being a Black American in Alexandria, Virginia. The use of terms like slavery or slaves was clearly absent from a majority of the displays and exhibit descriptions.

Having to pay for a self-guided tour of a single room of displays and a short video presentation was quite disheartening.

*The Howard County African American Culture Center in Columbia Maryland is similar in size, but was free of charge and was organized in a fashion to provide a clearer depiction of Black Americans during those...

Stumbled onto it after an all day nightmare attempt to go to DC for an event. $2 suggested donation at the door. Pay more if you can. It's worth $10 for it's history and it's work to share that history in the commentary community. It makes efficient is of its tight space for permanent and temporary exhibits covering slavery, reconstruction, civil rights and art. The first public library for the city's black residents, the museum is situated in its historically black, segregated neighborhood, in which the residents are now almost entirely young and white. Blocks of tiny row houses... And in many parts the architectural character is late 18th early 19th century....

After three long years the Alexandria Black History Museum will reopen on March 2nd.

The closure allowed for the museum to make some much needed repairs and provided the opportunity to prepare for a new exhibit Preserving Their Names: The Black Lives Matter Collection which brings to the forefront the tragic loss of Benjamin Thomas and Joseph McCoy who were both the victims of lynchings.

The two jars on display are filled with the soil from the locations in the city were the young men were lynched.

The new hours of the museum are Thursday-Friday from 11AM to 4PM, Saturday from 11AM-5PM and Sunday from 1PM-5PM. There also is $3...