In celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, I am announcing a series of articles about families in Alexandria, VA, who have lived here for over 250 years. The articles will appear in my column, “The Other Alexandria,” in the Alexandria Gazette, with behind-the-scenes content on this blog.
Check out this article in the Alexandria Gazette, dated July 16th, titled “What Does the 250th Anniversary Mean to This African American?”
On March 20, 2026, at the Virginia Forum held at Shenandoah University in Frederick, VA, I participated in a panel with Kristen Laise and Brenda Nelson. Our discussion centered on “The Slave, Freedman, and Enslaver: The Story of Monday Robinson.”
Kristen Laise, the Executive Director of Belle Grove Plantation, will present an exhibit titled “Monday Robinson: A Life of Thorns & Roses.” The opening is scheduled for September 26.
Please join us!
Yesterday, December 4, 2025, Alexandria lost a beloved citizen. McArthur Myers was a dedicated volunteer civic leader. He left his mark across Alexandria, advocating for the inclusion of Alexandria’s African American History in the city’s overall history. At many public meetings, he was the only African American volunteer to show up and participate. McArthur’s famous saying, “You’ve got to step up and step in.”
He was a dear friend of mine and will be missed by many of us who call Alexandria home.
McArthur Myers was among the recipients of the 2020 Living Legend honor. You can read his bio on the Living Legend’s website at: https://alexandrialegends.org/myers-mcarthur/.
The Zebra’s Newspaper has a beautiful obituary on McArthur and his work in Alexandria at https://thezebra.org/2025/12/04/mcarthur-myers-obituary-alexandria/.
It has been close to 25 years since I did an interview with Ellis Island in New York. It brings back so many memories for me. My great-grandmother’s cousin, Lazarus Bates, a former principal in Halifax, VA, was included in this interview. For the very first time, he revealed that his grandfather was born into slavery. He witnessed the scars on his grandfather’s back when Lazarus was a small child. These scars were inflicted by his grandfather’s master. Cousin Bates is no longer with us, but he left my family and me with one of the greatest gifts, the story of our ancestors, who were born enslaved.
https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/view-user-familyhistory/czoyOiIyOCI7/czowOiIiOw==/czowOiIiOw==
theotheralexandria 