Lost Black History
By Don Valentine
The Alexandria, Virginia Library Sit-In is another example of “Lost Black History” that is not taught in schools. Britannica, in a common misconception, cites the beginning of the sit-in movement as 1960 in Greensboro, North Carolina, stating, “…sit-in movement, nonviolent movement of the U.S. civil rights era that began in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1960.” In fact, Black America’s first orchestrated sit-in was the 1939 Alexandria library boycott.
This act of civil disobedience was spearheaded by Samuel Tucker. Growing up just two blocks from the Barrett Branch, he graduated from Howard University and earned a J.D. He was an outstanding law student and, although he passed Virginia’s bar exam at age 20, he couldn’t be sworn in until he was 21. Samuel tried for several years to establish equal access to community resources, but the White community, including the Library Board, remained resistant. Thus, twenty years before SNCC, Samuel developed a strategy by preparing a select group of young Black men for a deliberate act of civil disobedience. Otto Tucker (Samuel’s brother) politely entered and asked to register for a library card. When he was refused, he picked up a book, took a seat, and began to read. Minutes later, another well-groomed and polite Black man repeated these actions. This continued until all five had occupied separate tables and placidly read their books.
The Afro-American newspaper reported “the librarian on duty, Catherine Scoggin said, ‘Because their presence [at the library] caused embarrassment to the White patrons…’” the police arrested the men as they quietly tried to exit. Meanwhile, Samuel had anticipated the arrests and immediately began representing the defendants. During the trial, he shrewdly got the police to admit that “being colored was the true basis of charges of disorderly conduct laid against five young men who entered the local public library,” according to the aforementioned Afro-American article. Ultimately, the charges against the men were dropped.
Samuel remained a leader in the war against segregation. He argued groundbreaking civil rights cases across the state, and served as the lead lawyer for the N.A.A.C.P. in Virginia. In addition he appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court four times.
Black Press: Guardians of our Past
