Tag: Alexandria VA

Summary of Three Alexandria Gazette Articles in December 2020

Char McCargo Bah

When an elder leave this world, he takes his history library with him. Mr. James E. Henson died on December 13, 2020 in Alexandria, Virginia. He shared his knowledge that he gained from his elders with others. I was one of those individuals who he shared a great deal of history of what he knew and what he gained from his elders.

Now Mr. Henson has joined his elders and left the rest of us to inspire generation after us. He left us a priceless gift of self and history. He made room for us to do the same. He was one of a kind. Many will miss Mr. Henson.

His viewing with be on January 7, 2021 at Green Funeral Home at 814 Franklin Street between the hours of 2-8 pm. You can read his story by Jeanne Theismann at http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2020/dec/18/too-blessed-be-stressed/

The second article is on one of Parker-Gray High School’s finest women runners, Marian Stanfield a 1964 graduate of Parker-Gray High School.

On the same page as Marion Stanfield, is the third article about, ‘Parker-Gray Alumni 40 Plus Years of Giving Scholarships’ monies. The PG Alumni recently announced that they are retiring the organization so this will be the last official scholarships given out to new recipients. You can find these articles on page 14 at –
http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2020/122320/Alexandria.pdf.

I would like to wish all my readers, Happy Christmas and Happy New Year. I look forward in continuing to bring you, local stories of African Americans in Alexandria who made accomplishments and a difference in their community.

I would also like to thank all the individuals who took the time in 2020 to write my editor about the stories that I wrote. I truly feel grateful that I have been able to highlight Alexandria African Americans’ accomplishments. I deeply appreciated that my readers enjoyed taking this history tour with me in learning so many stories of the forgotten histories of our community. Thank you and be safe!

 

“Getting Ready to Cast My Vote – Cassie Reddick Whitmore”

Behind the scenes of the Alexandria Gazette Packet’s article on, “Getting Ready to Cast My Vote – Cassie Reddick Whitmore”– dated December 9, 2020.

Gale Brooks-Ogden

Gale Arlene Brooks Ogden is her family’s historian. She played a major role in providing information on her family who are connected to the Alexandria Freedmen Cemetery. Her family has been in Alexandria since the Civil War.

The article that was in the Alexandria Gazette focused on Gale’s great-grandmother, Cassie Reddick Whitmore. Although, Gale never had a chance to meet Cassie, she collected family stories and researched Cassie’s life. Cassie was dead almost two decades before Gale was born.

Through Gale’s research, she was able to know a lot about Cassie’s life. Cassie had the strong fierce spirit of her parents. Both of Cassie’s parents were born in enslaved and they were bold enough to make it from Hartford, North Carolina and Loudoun, Virginia during the civil war to Alexandria.

Cassie also seek freedom just like her parents. She wanted the freedom to cast her vote. With the passing of the 19th Amendment, Cassie cast her vote in the November 2, 1920 Election for the presidential candidate Warren G. Harding. Cassie made history and that history was passed down for 100 years to her great-granddaughter Gail.

Correction to the Alexandria Gazette article on page 6, Cassie Reddick Whitmore. Correction on the first line it should be 19th Amendment.   In the seven paragraph, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was 32nd President and not the 39th. 

Check out this article on “Getting Ready to Cast My Vote – Cassie Reddick Whitmore”– dated December 9, 2020 in the Alexandria Gazette Packet on page 6 at
http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2020/120920/Alexandria.pdf.

Alexandria’s African American Local History

 

Char McCargo Bah

I was born in Alexandria, Virginia in the 1950s. I attended Charles Houston Elementary School when it was segregated. When it was time for middle school in the 1970s, Parker-Gray was already integrated.

The only thing I remembered about African American (Black) History from elementary to middle school was the one-liner about slavery.

One year after high school, one event changed my life for every. In 1976, Alex Haley’s book “Roots” came out and the movie followed in 1977. I never thought that it was possible to research my family who had been in the United States since the 1700s, but Alex Haley made me think I could.

Forty-four years later, I am still just as passionate about genealogy as I was in 1976. I have found so many family members during these forty-years of research. Those individuals that I located never knew the achievements that our family members made. These achievements were in their local community. Because of my relatives, I have expanded my research into uncovering local histories about African Americans in Alexandria. My readers have let me know through their many e-mails how my articles have resonated with them.

I would like to thank my readers for their many e-mails of gratitude for my local history articles. I know how my readers feel because I was in their shoes when I found out about my relatives and their contributions to their community.

I would like to thank the Alexandria Gazette Newspaper for giving me the platform to write about the local histories of African Americans.

Recently, the Zebra newspaper featured me in their newspaper. I like to thank Audrey P. Davis, the Director of the Alexandria Black History Museum for interviewing me and the Zebra Production and Sale Assistant, Shenise Foster.

You can read, “The Zebra Newspaper” article on page 8, at https://thezebra.advanced-pub.com/?issueID=53&pageID=1

 

Behind the Scene – “Giving Back to the Youth: Joyce Casey Sanchez”

Mrs. Joyce Sanchez was born to a very strong and independent mother, Ada Virginia Casey. Joyce’s father died when she was young. Ada raised her four children in the close knitted community in the West End of Alexandria known as Seminary area.

Ada Virginia Casey raised her children to be strong, independent and leaders. Joyce took her mother’s teachings to heart and became a strong advocate for the youth. She not only prepared herself for the challenge, she exceeded in all her studies in high school as well as college. By getting her education, she prepared herself for the challenge of educating the youth in Alexandria. What she could not accomplish as a teacher, she accomplished through the many organizations that she was a member.

She always had her eyes on making the Alexandria youth the best they could be with the right educational tools.

You can read more about Joyce Casey Sanchez in the Alexandria Gazette newspaper dated October 14, 2020 on page 7 at http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2020/101420/Alexandria.pdf.