ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Alexandria Library will host its third annual Black Family Reunion on Saturday, September 6, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library, 717 Queen Street. The free community event celebrates African American heritage in Alexandria through food, activities, and the preservation of family history.
This year’s reunion will feature more activities and additional food trucks than in years past, with all food and entertainment free of charge. Families are encouraged to bring historic photographs, letters, and documents to be digitized and added to the library’s Local History/Special Collections archive. The goal is to fill gaps in Alexandria’s historical record and ensure that the stories of Black Alexandrians are preserved for future generations.
Organized in collaboration with historian and genealogist Char McCargo Bah, the event will also serve as a live recording site for short oral history videos of less than 15 minutes. Visitors can find McCargo Bah at the reunion if they wish to participate in the recordings.
In the weeks leading up to the event, the Alexandria Library will release more than a dozen full-length oral history interviews with native Alexandrians whose families have lived in the city for over 100 years. One video will be released each day beginning August 11, 2025, on the library’s website and social media channels, offering a preview of the voices and stories that will be featured during the reunion…