WE ARE PLEASED TO BE OFFERING BOTH IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL ATTENDANCE OPTIONS FOR THIS EVENT! PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS TO JOIN EITHER VENUE.
Located just across the Potomac River from Washington, DC, Alexandria, Virginia, has long held a unique sociopolitical position due to its proximity to the nation's capital. This unexplored relationship had a profound impact on African Americans' access to schools, transportation, and other resources in comparison to other southern towns and cities. Proximity to Power examines the history of Alexandria's African American community from the mid-nineteenth century to the twenty-first century, focusing on its dynamic relationship with the federal government before, during, and after the Civil War. Krystyn R. Moon highlights the long-standing advocacy and agency of Alexandria's Black residents, adding further nuance to our understanding of the relationship between race and place.
About the Speaker
Krystyn Moon is a professor of History and American Studies at the University of Mary Washington and currently serves as their Waple Faculty Fellow. Her teaching and research center on nineteenth- and twentieth-century U.S. history, with a particular emphasis on Northern Virginia’s African American and immigrant communities. Her first public history project, Finding the Fort: African American History and Memory at Fort Ward Historic Park, is a 200+ page report on a neighborhood that Alexandria annexed from Fairfax County in 1952. She also conducted interviews for the Office of Historic Alexandria’s oral history initiative, Immigrant Alexandria: Past, Present and Future, funded by Virginia Humanities and co-chaired the city’s African American History Trail Committee, which developed two StoryMap trails and “brick and mortar” signage for the waterfront. Beyond her work with the Office of Historic Alexandria, Professor Moon is collaborating with faculty at Marymount University on Documenting Exclusion and Resilience, a digital project that explores the history of racially restrictive covenants and Black landownership in Northern Virginia. She is the author of the recently published book, Proximity to Power: Rethinking Race and Place in Alexandria, Virginia (UNC Press), along with several reports, articles, and blogs.
IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE
The lecture will take place at The First Congregational United Church of Christ, Second Floor, 945 G Street NW, Washington, DC. Reservations are not required. $10.00 for Latrobe Chapter members, student members (full time) free with ID, $15.00 for non-members. Doors will open at 6:30 pm for socialization and refreshments; lecture will begin at 7:00 pm.
VIRTUAL ATTENDANCE
Virtual attendance is free but advance registration is required to participate. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the lecture. Virtual lecture will begin at 7:00 PM. Please note that this event will not be recorded.