Robert H. Robinson Library facts for kids
The Robert H. Robinson Library was a special library built for African American people in the United States. This was during a time called the Jim Crow era, when laws kept Black and white people separate. The library was located in Alexandria, Virginia, and opened in 1940. It was run by the City of Alexandria.
Contents
History of the Library
The library was named after Rev. Robert H. Robinson. He was an important African American minister, teacher, and activist. His grandmother, Caroline Branham, was enslaved by George Washington and Martha Washington.
In 1939, a lawyer named Samuel Wilbert Tucker organized a protest at the new public library in Alexandria, Virginia. This library, called the Kate Waller Barret branch, was only for white people. Mr. Tucker pointed out that everyone, including African Americans, paid taxes that helped fund the library.
Mr. Tucker's main goal was for African Americans to be able to use the public library. But instead of letting them in, the city built a smaller, separate library just for Black people. This was the Robert Robinson Library. It opened in 1940 and was the first "separate but equal" library for African Americans in Alexandria.
Library Staff and Books
From the very beginning, the Robert Robinson Library had professional librarians. These librarians had graduated from many different American universities. The library offered books for students of all ages, from kindergarten up to university level.
Why the Library Was Important
The creation of the Robert Robinson Library happened after the 1939 protest led by African Americans at the whites-only Alexandria Library. People were even arrested during this protest.
The 1939 event is often seen as one of the very first non-violent protests by African Americans against racial segregation in the country.
What Happened Next
After libraries across the country became desegregated (meaning Black and white people could use the same libraries), the Robert H. Robinson Library became part of the Alexandria Black History Museum.
Today, the museum has different exhibits that change over time. These exhibits focus on local and national topics related to African American history and culture.
The museum also manages the Alexandria African American Heritage Park. This park is about 9-acre (3.6 ha) big and is located at 500 Holland Lane. Inside the park, there is a 1-acre (0.40 ha) cemetery from the 1800s where African Americans were buried. This cemetery was unfortunately covered by a city landfill in the 1960s.
See also
- Contrabands and Freedmen Cemetery
- Franklin and Armfield Office
- Alexandria Black History Museum
- Frederick Douglass National Historic Site
- National Museum of African American History and Culture
- National Museum of African Art
- Anacostia Community Museum
- Founders Library
- List of museums focused on African Americans
