New America Receives Grant to Create Digital Exhibit on 1939 Library Sit-In

New America, a nonprofit and nonpartisan think tank, has been awarded a two-year $250,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation to develop an immersive digital exhibit on the 1939 Library Sit-In in Alexandria, Virginia. This civil-rights demonstration, unknown to most Americans, is the United States’ first recorded sit-in demanding desegregated access to a public library. The event, which led to the arrests of five young Black men for reading in a whites-only library, predates the protests of what is widely recognized as the Civil Rights Era of the 1950s and ‘60s. It offers a window into actions that laid the foundation for human rights advances to come.

The effort to develop the exhibit is part of a partnership including New America, the Alexandria Library, and the African American History division of the Office of Historic Alexandria, run by the City of Alexandria. 

Once completed and launched in 2027, the free digital exhibit will enable anyone, whether in Alexandria or elsewhere around the world, to step into this moment in history using the mobile devices in their hands. Visitors will be taken through an interactive experience that helps them see the story through the eyes of the half-dozen young people who organized the sit-in and were demanding their right to read and use the library. Visitors will also be linked to additional digital resources, such as oral history videos, photographs, meeting minutes, and scanned versions of 1930s correspondence. 

“The story of the 1939 library sit-in deserves greater recognition across our country for its role in laying groundwork for future civil rights victories,” said Lisa Guernsey, a senior director at New America who leads the project. “This exhibit will allow people everywhere to become inspired by the story, gain insight into what happened before and after the sit-in, and connect it to the demand for education access that still reverberates today.” 

“The Library has not always been on the right side of history,” said Rose T. Dawson, Director of the Alexandria Library. “Our partnership with New America to explore and bring to light the full story of this brave civil rights action is one example of how the Library acknowledges our past while also growing, serving, and striving to inspire change through action.”

“Alexandria’s 1939 sit-in is an important story that most Americans don’t know,” said Audrey Davis, director of the African American History division at the Office of Historic Alexandria. “It embodies the fundamental right we all have to gain knowledge. The actions of five brave young Black men helped their community thrive and paved the way for the eventual integration of Alexandria’s libraries. It was an early volley on the battlefield for equal access—a battle still being fought today.” 

The interactive exhibit will be developed by Reingold, an Alexandria-based communications and web-development firm. Visitors all over the world will be able to explore the exhibit online anytime, and visitors to Alexandria will find it highlighted in physical spaces around the city, including the Alexandria Black History Museum and Alexandria’s library branches. The exhibit will be housed within the Alexandria Library’s website.

New America and its partners will host an online webinar at 12 noon ET on August 21, 2026—the 87th anniversary of the sit-in—to highlight and discuss how media is being used to amplify this local story and others with national importance. The webinar will also explain how the new digital exhibit is being designed. 

See more information about the 1939 Library Sit-In Project, which has also been funded over the past five years by Virginia Humanities, the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Hewlett Foundation.

About New America: Our mission is to generate big ideas and bold solutions for a new America. We envision an America that represents and serves the public, where institutions work for all Americans, where workers, families, and communities can thrive, and where people are secure from existential threats. Learn more at newamerica.org.

About the Office of Historic Alexandria: The Office of Historic Alexandria preserves and shares the history of the City of Alexandria with eight museums, historic sites, archives, archaeology, tours, exhibits, and public programs. Through powerful storytelling and confronting the City’s past, Historic Alexandria enriches the present and inspires the future. We enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors and serve as a partner in the City’s equity and inclusion initiatives. For more information, visit alexandriava.gov/Historic.

About the Alexandria Library: The Alexandria Library inspires learners of all ages, fosters community connections, and provides free access to information, ideas, and experiences for everyone. Opened to the public in 1937, the Library consists of four neighborhood branches, a Local History/Special Collections branch, and a Law Library. Guided by a commitment to excellent public service, the Alexandria Library offers books, digital resources, educational programs, technology access, and community spaces where all are welcome.