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

 

Alexandria’s Freedmen’s Cemetery: A Legacy of Freedom’s Newsletter

Alexandria’s Freedmen’s Cemetery: A Legacy of Freedom (Book Coming Soon)

Alexandria’s Freedmen’s Cemetery: A Legacy of Freedom’s Newsletter

I am glad to announce that my new book will be out between late December and January of 2019. My book “Alexandria’s Freedmen’s Cemetery: A Legacy of Freedom” has been in the making since 2015. I will be posting future book signings and behind the scene journey of finding descendants of the Freedmen Cemetery that is the backbone to writing this book. So look out for the next newsletter in December 2018.

      

 

Announcing a New Blog

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Authors of African Americans of Alexandria, Virginia Beacons of Light in the Twentieth Century

A new blog is available for the authors of a new book “African Americans of Alexandria, Virginia: Beacons of Light in the Twentieth Century.” Please visit their blog at http://www.changeagents818.wordpress.com. Click on the different sections About, Contact Us, and Calendar of Events. Do not forget to order the book and come back to the blog for a book discussion. If you want to invite the authors for a lecture and book signing, go to “Contact Us” on their Blog and send an e-mail. Thanks!

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