Bill Text: VA SJR207 | 2024 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commemorating the legacy of the Alexandria Library sit-in.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2024-03-07 - Bill text as passed Senate and House (SJ207ER) [SJR207 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2024-SJR207-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, Alexandria established a public library in 1937, limiting access to only white citizens of Alexandria; and
WHEREAS, the African American citizens of Alexandria were not only denied access to the library but were also denied an equal facility dedicated to the African American community; and
WHEREAS, United States Army sergeant George Wilson and attorney Samuel W. Tucker applied for and were refused library cards in 1937, leading Samuel W. Tucker to plan and organize a peaceful protest at the library; and
WHEREAS, six courageous young African American men, William Evans, Otto Tucker, Edward Gaddis, Morris Murray, and Clarence Strange, as well as Robert Strange, who ran to notify Samuel Tucker that the police were arriving at the library, put Samuel Tucker's plan into action; and
WHEREAS, on August 21, 1939, five of the young men applied for and were denied library privileges at what is today Alexandria's Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library; and
WHEREAS, these men refused to comply with an order to leave the building and were arrested while reading in silent protest in the library's public reading room; and
WHEREAS, the City of Alexandria, after numerous delays and negotiations, established the Robinson Library in 1940, which was the "separate but equal" facility that purportedly served the "colored community" of Alexandria for more than 20 years after the 1939 sit-in; and
WHEREAS, the Alexandria Library and the City of Alexandria acknowledge and apologize for their roles in these events and pledge to ensure that all residents have access to the public library, providing materials to meet their informational, recreational, and educational needs, regardless of age, race, gender, and socioeconomic status; and
WHEREAS, the Alexandria Library is commemorating the 85th anniversary of the sit-in throughout 2024 by celebrating the "legacy of courage" of William Evans, Otto Tucker, Edward Gaddis, Morris Murray, Clarence Strange, and Robert Strange through programming, guest speaker talks, book displays, performances, and other ceremonial events; and
WHEREAS, the Alexandria Library will continue to honor this legacy of the historic peaceful protest, which was ahead of its time, by establishing a "Sit-In Meeting Room" at the Kate Waller Barrett Library to remember the courageous actions of those men; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commemorate the legacy of the Alexandria Library sit-in on the occasion of its 85th anniversary; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to representatives of the Alexandria Library as an expression of the General Assembly's appreciation for the role of that event in setting the Alexandria Library, the City of Alexandria, the Commonwealth, and the United States on a correct course toward respecting all people and supporting them in their pursuit of knowledge and happiness.
