The Alexandria Black History Museum is hosting a discussion and book signing by award-winning journalist Charles E. Cobb, Jr., on Thursday, June 26. Cobb will be sharing his new work, On the Road to Freedom: A Guided Tour of the Civil Rights Trail (Algonquin Books), from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at one of the sites featured in the book. 
 
In On the Road to Freedom, Cobb takes an in-depth look at the civil rights movement by visiting the places where freedom pioneers marched, sat in at lunch counters, gathered in churches, and risked arrest and in some cases, their lives. Among the dozens of historical places featured in Cobbs book are several in Alexandria, including the Alexandria Black History Museum. The building that houses the museum was constructed in 1940 as the Robert H. Robinson Library. The City built the Robinson Library as a result of a peaceful sit-in that took place in 1939 at the Alexandria Library on Queen Street when five young African American men were arrested for refusing to leave a segregated, whites only library.

Cobb, a former organizer for SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) and a founding member of the National Association of Black Journalists, will talk about the documentation of historic markers, first-person interviews, speeches, maps, and 150 black-and-white photos that make up his innovative and valuable guide to civil rights history.

This free event is co-sponsored by Port of Harlem. Following the discussion, light refreshments will be served. Reservations are not required but are suggested, as seating is limited. Please call 703.838.4356 for reservations or more information.

The Alexandria Black History Museum (www.alexblackhistory.org) is located at 902 Wythe Street in Alexandria, and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.