The director of the Alexandria Black History Museum has been tapped to head the city’s new African American History division.
Audrey P. Davis has been named the director of the division that is part of the Office of Historic Alexandria.
“The African American History division is a part of a larger reorganization of OHA, which will prioritize resident outreach, improve visitor experience, and regularly engage residents in City initiatives,” an Alexandria news release said.
“This new division will ensure the continued inclusion of Black History in City museums and public programming, as well as advancing the City’s goal of building a welcoming community through equity and inclusion.”
Davis, a historian who grew up in DC, started her career with Alexandria in 1993 as a part-time curator. She became the Alexandria Black History Museum’s acting director in 2012 and then its director in 2015.
Davis is one of five authors of the book, African Americans of Alexandria, Virginia: Beacons of Light in the 20th Century, which chronicles the lives of 63 African American men and women who made a difference in the city between 1920 and 1965.
She has been instrumental in raising awareness of the city’s African American history across the U.S. and worldwide. Through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences, the city is digitizing its Moss Kendrix Collection.
Davis also captured the city’s social justice story following the death of George Floyd by collecting community submissions of pictures and artwork.
Her work at the Freedom House Museum at 1315 Duke St. was profiled in Preservation Magazine’s Winter issue.
Feature image courtesy Alexandria government
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