Dear Friend,

You’re invited to join AU President and CEO Rachel Laser in Alexandria, Va., next Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, at 6:30 p.m., for a remembrance event in honor of Benjamin Thomas, a Black teenager who was lynched in Alexandria on Aug. 8, 1899.

Rachel’s speech, “Why the Parental Rights Movement is Anti-Civil Rights,” will address how white Christian Nationalism, racism, and the so-called “parental rights” movement are connected in the attacks on public schools and church-state separation nationwide.

This secular event, hosted by the Alexandria Community Remembrance Project, is free and open to the public. It will occur at the Shiloh Baptist Worship Center, which has a historical connection to the events surrounding Thomas’ lynching. It is located at 1401 Jamieson Ave., Alexandria, VA 22314.