1926 – 1999
Behind the scenes of the Alexandria Gazette Packet’s article on, “He Loved His People and His Community”– dated July 4 – 10, 2019.
Mr. Roger C. Anderson was one of several people who helped spark my interest in African American History. I remembered somewhere around 1985 I took a tour of Alexandria African-American sites with Mr. Anderson and others. I was shocked in learning about the Alexandria’s Slave Pen. I was in my late twenties just finding out for the first time about the Alexandria Slave Pen; that part of history was not taught to me in the Alexandria School System.
Our busy lives sometimes make us forget to thank individuals who have impacted our lives in a positive way. Mr. Anderson was one of those people who impacted so many African American children growing up in Alexandria during segregation and the early years of desegregation. The article in the Alexandria Gazette is to publicly tell the story of the contributions that Mr. Anderson made to his people and to his community.
Read more about “Mr. Roger C. Anderson”– dated June 4-10, 2019 in the Alexandria Gazette Packet on page 9 at
http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2019/070319/Alexandria.pdf.
theotheralexandria 
Reading the Roger Anderson profile, I was reminded of a 1988 oped by then Alexandria Gazette Packet editor Jim Coldsmith who tangentially refers to Anderson’s efforts in unearthing history: “Most neglected of all, until recently, has been the rich lode of black history in Alexandria. Now on my desk at home is a copy of a highly promising manuscript of black history by Roger Anderson.”
Sadly, I don’t know what became of that manuscript.
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Thanks Craig! Sorry about the manuscript.
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