Robert H. Robinson Library facts for kids
The Robert H. Robinson Library was a special place in Alexandria, Virginia. It was one of the first libraries in the United States specifically for African Americans. This was during a time called the Jim Crow laws era, when laws kept Black and white people separated. The library opened in 1940 at 902 Wythe Street and was run by the City of Alexandria.
Contents
A Library's Important Story
The Robert H. Robinson Library was named after Rev. Robert H. Robinson. He was an important African American minister, teacher, and activist. He was also the grandson of Caroline Branham, who was an enslaved woman owned by George Washington and Martha Washington.
Why This Library Was Built
In 1939, something important happened at the main public library in Alexandria, Virginia. This library, called the Kate Waller Barrett branch, was only for white people. A lawyer named Samuel Wilbert Tucker organized a "sit-in" protest there. A sit-in is when people sit in a place where they are not allowed to be, to protest unfair rules.
Lawyer Tucker and others protested because everyone, including African Americans, paid taxes that funded the library. They believed everyone should be able to use it. Instead of opening the main library to everyone, the city built the Robert H. Robinson Library. It was completed in 1940. This library was meant to be a "separate but equal" place for African Americans in the city. However, "separate but equal" often meant that facilities for Black people were not as good as those for white people.
Who Worked There and What Books They Had
From the very beginning, the Robert H. Robinson Library had professional librarians. These librarians had studied at many different universities. The library offered books and learning materials to students of all ages, from young children in kindergarten to university students.
Its Lasting Importance
The 1939 sit-in at the Alexandria Library is often remembered as one of the first non-violent protests against racial segregation. Racial segregation meant keeping people of different races apart, often treating one group unfairly. The Robert H. Robinson Library was a direct result of this important protest. It showed the community's need for equal access to education and resources.
What Happened to the Library
After libraries in the United States became desegregated (meaning people of all races could use them together), the Robert H. Robinson Library became part of the Alexandria Black History Museum.
The museum shares stories about African American history, both locally in Alexandria and across the country. It also manages the Alexandria African American Heritage Park. This park is about 9 acres and includes a 1-acre cemetery from the 1800s where African Americans were buried. This cemetery was sadly covered by a city landfill in the 1960s, but it has since been recognized and preserved.
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
