Expanding on his recent article titled "Ad apt or Die" for American Cemetery and Cremation\, Orlikoff will discuss th e opportunities and challenges in reimagining and embracing the multifacet ed role that historical cemeteries play as active sites of memory\, educat ion and civic life.
\nWith its first burial in 1807\, Congressional Cemetery is among the oldest institutions in Washington\, D.C.\, and is th e final resting place for over 67\,000 individuals\, including notable fig ures such as Belva Lockwood\, Mathew Brady\, Alain Locke\, Marion Barry an d J. Edgar Hoover\, as well as a number of former members of Congress. Sti ll an active burial ground\, it is the only place in Washington where indi viduals can be buried at a site directly on Pierre L&rsquo\;Enfant&rsquo\; s 18th-century city plan. Once primarily a destination for funerals and ge nealogical research\, the cemetery today serves as an urban green space\, a site of historical interpretation and a gathering place for community pr ogramming. As a trained historian\, Orlikoff will highlight the ways in wh ich archival documentation serves as an essential foundation for these ini tiatives.
\nAn alumnus of Old Dominion University with both bachelor &rsquo\;s and master&rsquo\;s degrees in history\, Orlikoff is a published author\, a contributor to Washington History magazine and treasurer of th e Alliance to Preserve the Civil War Defenses of Washington.
\nThis is a free event\, but registration is required. For more information\, con tact Mary Ann Mason at maryann.mason@lva.virginia.gov or 804.692.3648.
\nInformation about joining by Zoom will be shared with all registered participants.
\nProgramming assistance is provided by the Friends of the Virginia State Archives\, a 501(c)(3) organization. Visit them at friendsvirginiaarchives.org. \;
\nhttps://alexandria.libnet.info/event/17171683 URL;VALUE=URI:https://alexandria.libnet.info/event/17171683 ATTACH:https://static.libnet.info/images/events/alexandria/Orlikoff.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR