By Artura Jackson, Assistant Director for the Division of African American History, Office of Historic Alexandria
Alexandria, VA – In February 2026, the nation commemorates the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, a milestone rooted in the vision of historian Carter G. Woodson. In 1926, Woodson established Negro History Week in response to the near erasure of African American history from classrooms and public life. He believed the nation could not understand itself honestly without acknowledging the full humanity, contributions, and struggles of Black Americans. What began as a week of study expanded through the work of educators, churches, and civic leaders, and in 1976 became Black History Month. A century later, Woodson’s call to truth and accountability remains urgent.
The City of Alexandria offers a powerful lens through which to reflect on this centennial. Alexandria’s African American history is deeply local while also nationally significant. In the early 19th century, the city was a major hub of the domestic slave trade. Sites such as the Freedom House Museum bear witness to the thousands of men, women, and children who were forcibly removed from their homes and sent to the Deep South. This history shaped families and communities across Virginia and the nation…