Alexandria Black History Museum

Alexandria’s Black History Museum came about as the result of a sit-in protest by five young African-Americans in 1939, protesting their lack of access to the then segregated public library on Queen Street. Though the young men were arrested, the City of Alexandria built the Robert Robinson Library in 1940 to address the educational needs of its black citizens. It was used until desegregation occurred in the 1960s, after which it was used for community service activities. In 1983, the Robert Robinson Library reopened as the Alexandria Black History Museum.