Confronting History: Pulitzer Winner Explores Political Violence at Alexandria Lynching Remembrance

Join us as a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian delves into the complex origins and enduring legacy of political violence in America, speaking at a poignant remembrance event for Benjamin Thomas, a victim of a historical lynching in Alexandria. This article explores the significance of this timely discussion and the ongoing efforts to understand and heal from racial terror.

Alexandria, Virginia, is set to host a deeply significant event, as a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian will deliver a keynote address on political violence and democracy during a remembrance program for Benjamin Thomas, a young Black man lynched in the city 126 years ago. This upcoming gathering on August 8, 2025, serves as a crucial moment for reflection, education, and continued dialogue on the nation's often-uncomfortable past and its echoes in the present.

The speaker, Dr. Steven Hahn, a distinguished history professor at New York University and recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for his seminal work "A Nation Under Our Feet: Black Politics in the Rural South from Slavery to the Great Migration," will present remarks titled "Political Violence, Racial Terror and the Perpetual Struggle for American Democracy." His scholarship offers invaluable insights into the historical interplay between violence, racial subjugation, and the fragile evolution of democratic institutions in the United States.

The event, hosted by the Alexandria Community Remembrance Project, part of the Office of Historic Alexandria, underscores a commitment to confronting the painful realities of racial terror. Benjamin Thomas was denied due process before his brutal lynching on August 8, 1899. His story, and the stories of countless others, represent a stark chapter in American history where racial prejudice was weaponized through mob violence, systematically undermining the very foundations of justice and equality.

Dr. Hahn's presence at this remembrance event is particularly impactful. His work, which meticulously details the political lives of Black Americans through eras of profound oppression and resistance, provides essential context for understanding how acts of racial terror, like the lynching of Benjamin Thomas, were not isolated incidents but rather integral to broader systems of power and control. By examining these historical threads, Dr. Hahn invites attendees to reconsider conventional narratives of the American past and recognize the persistent struggle for genuine democracy.

The contemporary relevance of such discussions cannot be overstated. In an era where conversations about political polarization, social justice, and the suppression of historical education are increasingly prominent, the lessons from events like Benjamin Thomas's lynching serve as powerful reminders. The Alexandria Community Remembrance Project, through initiatives like this speaker event and their ongoing research, aims to ensure that these difficult histories are neither forgotten nor whitewashed.

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The remembrance program on August 8 will not only honor Benjamin Thomas's memory but also provide a platform for collective healing and a renewed commitment to justice. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with Dr. Hahn's profound insights and consider how historical patterns of political violence continue to shape societal dynamics. The illumination of City Hall and the lamppost at King and South Fairfax streets in purple, the color of mourning, will serve as a visual testament to Alexandria's dedication to acknowledging its past and working towards a more equitable future.

This event transcends a mere historical lecture; it is an active engagement with memory, a call to confront uncomfortable truths, and an invitation to participate in the ongoing effort to build a more just and democratic society, free from the shadow of political violence and racial terror.