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Lecture: Proximity to Power — Rethinking Race and Place in Alexandria, Virginia promotional image
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Lecture: Proximity to Power — Rethinking Race and Place in Alexandria, Virginia

Black History Month History Lecture

What’s Happening?

Located just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., Alexandria, Virginia, has long held a unique sociopolitical position because of its proximity to the nation's capital. This unexplored relationship had a profound impact on Black 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 Black 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 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.

Dr. Krystyn R. Moon is professor of history and American studies at the University of Mary Washington. Her teaching and research include U.S. immigration history, popular culture, race and ethnic studies, foodways, gender and sexuality, and consumerism. She is the author of Yellowface: Creating the Chinese in American Popular Music and Performance, 1850s-1920s (2005) and Proximity to Power: Rethinking Race and Place in Alexandria, Virginia (2025).

The content and opinions expressed in these presentations are solely those of the speaker and not necessarily of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

Program Notes:

-Tickets are required for in-person admission. Tickets are not needed if you would prefer to join us live on YouTube or Facebook.
- Admission to this lecture is free for members.  Members, please visit the VMHC website to reserve your free tickets. Your free member tickets will be visible once the items are in your cart.  
- In-person attendees are invited to meet the speaker immediately following the lecture.
- Signed copies of the book will be available at ShopVirginiaHistory.org.

Located just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., Alexandria, Virginia, has long held a unique sociopolitical position because of its proximity to the nation's capital. This unexplored relationship had a profound impact on Black 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 Black 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 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.

Dr. Krystyn R. Moon is professor of history and American studies at the University of Mary Washington. Her teaching and research include U.S. immigration history, popular culture, race and ethnic studies, foodways, gender and sexuality, and consumerism. She is the author of Yellowface: Creating the Chinese in American Popular Music and Performance, 1850s-1920s (2005) and Proximity to Power: Rethinking Race and Place in Alexandria, Virginia (2025).

The content and opinions expressed in these presentations are solely those of the speaker and not necessarily of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

Program Notes:

-Tickets are required for in-person admission. Tickets are not needed if you would prefer to join us live on YouTube or Facebook.
- Admission to this lecture is free for members.  Members, please visit the VMHC website to reserve your free tickets. Your free member tickets will be visible once the items are in your cart.  
- In-person attendees are invited to meet the speaker immediately following the lecture.
- Signed copies of the book will be available at ShopVirginiaHistory.org.

More about Virginia Museum of History & Culture
The Virginia Museum of History & Culture was founded in 1831 as the Virginia Historical Society. The oldest museum in Virginia and one of the oldest in the United States, the VMHC has devoted nearly two centuries to collecting and preserving the artifacts of our past to share the far-reaching history of the Commonwealth of Virginia with the world. Today, this nationally respected museum and research organization cares for a renowned history collection totaling more than nine million items and engages hundreds of thousands of Virginians and other guests annually.
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