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New October Releases

The Spooky Season Is Here 👻

The nights are getting longer and whether you’re celebrating spooky season or the start of cozy season, it’s the perfect time to curl up with a blanket and a good book. 

Set in 2075 New York, the queer cyberpunk dystopian thriller "Local Heavens" by K. M. Fajardo retells "The Great Gatsby," showing the timelessness of its themes of wealth, class, loss and the damage careless people can cause while going after their desires.

You’d think that bargaining with a shadowy figure for a promotion would be standard at a workplace like Dark Enterprises, but while Colin does get promoted, he also unleashes an ancient evil. Mark Waddell’s "Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World" sees Colin trying to save the world because there are a few things he likes about it—his best friend, the new guy he’s been seeing, and of course, his new job. Welcome to Night Vale meets The Office in this darkly humorous horror satire that doesn’t skimp on the romance or action.

The college years often include bad grades, worse boyfriends, questionable fashion choices, late-night parties and learning who you really are. All of this is further complicated if you’ve already won the Nobel Peace Prize and are a global figure for surviving the death threats that haven’t gone away. "Finding My Way" by Malala Yousafzai is a candid and dynamic memoir as she confronts a public image that’s impossible to live up to and learns who she actually is, on her own terms.

November 10 marks the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, a Great Lakes shipwreck immortalized in song by Gordon Lightfoot. "Gales of November" by John U. Bacon is an absorbing and in-depth look at the wreck, as well as the importance and dangers of sailing on the Great Lakes. Most importantly, he introduces readers to the 29 men lost when she went down, their lives on board and on shore and the loved ones they left behind.

Allan Wolf and Jose Pimienta’s middle grade novel, "Vanishing of Lake Peigneur" tells the dramatic story of when a routine drilling operation on Louisiana’s Lake Peigneur went very, very wrong, creating a giant whirlpool and draining the entire lake away into the salt mines underneath. Narrated by the lake itself and detailing the lives of the people caught in the chaos, this is a gripping introduction to a little-known environmental disaster.

Beauty content creator Lyric plans to spend the holiday season continuing to build her platform and get the most out of her latest brand collaboration. When a spur-of-the-moment photo with new classmate, Juniper, goes viral, the girls decide to make the most of the moment and start fake dating for the clicks (and the accompanying money, which will fund their respective post-high school plans). But the line between reality and social media blurs quickly in "I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm," Mariama J. Lockington’s slow-burn teen Christmas romance.

Place Your Holds Now!

More Book Lists to Explore

Best Recent Latine Fiction
Latine Horror

The Voting Rights Act of 1965: Remarks by Rev. Dr. DeLishia A. Davis

NAACP Arlington Branch president and pastor Dr. DeLishia A. Davis gave a powerful speech during the opening reception of the Virginia voting rights exhibition "From Barriers to Ballots."

The exhibitions were on display from Aug. 1 through Nov. 4, 2025, at the Bozman Government Center, Arlington Central Library, Arlington Historical Museum, Black Heritage Museum of Arlington and the City of Fairfax Regional Library.

This video was recorded on August 6, 2025, at Central Library for the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. You can read the transcript of the speech below or stream it online.

The initial moments of the speech referenced Davis's grandfather, the late Rev. Robert D. Boykin of Wilmington, North Carolina. He passed away on January 23, 2025 at the age of 97. 

The transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

Photo of President Lyndon B. Johnson shaking hands with Martin Luther King, Jr., at the signing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Photograph by Yoichi Okamoto. Courtesy of the Lyndon B. Johnson Library.

The 60th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965

Good evening, friends, neighbors and beloved community,

Today, we gather to mark the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965—one of the most significant victories of the Civil Rights Movement and a profound declaration of American democracy.

This legislation was not gifted to us. It was earned through sweat, sacrifice and sheer moral courage. It was won on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, where people of every age and background stood against hatred and brutality to affirm the dignity of the vote.

Painting of “Bloody Sunday—Selma, 1965” by artist Ted Ellis. This painting was unveiled during the 50th Anniversary celebration of the March from Selma to Montgomery. From Wikimedia Commons.

The Vote is Precious. It is Almost Sacred.

As the late Congressman John Lewis, a hero of that bridge, once said: “The vote is precious. It is almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have in a democratic society, and we must use it.”

The Voting Rights Act gave legal power to that sacred tool. But 60 years later, we find ourselves in a sobering moment—a time when voting rights are once again under attack, when voter suppression wears new clothes, and when equity remains a dream deferred for too many.

Let us be clear: To truly honor the Voting Rights Act is not just to remember it—it is to defend its purpose. Because the same forces of racism and injustice that required its passage still seek to silence and divide us today.

Pinback button reading “Black Folk Must Vote,” ca. 1965. Courtesy of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

The Arc Bends Toward Justice.

As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., reminded us,“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

However, friends, it does not bend on its own. We must bend it. With action. With truth. With an unrelenting commitment to justice. We must fight for accessible, fair and inclusive elections. We must demand policies that affirm human dignity and racial equity. And we must do this work—together.

Photo of John Lewis, 1965. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, LC-USZ62-121285

Make Good Trouble.

John Lewis also urged us to make “good trouble, necessary trouble.” So, we must. Because the dream of an anti-racist, just society is not a relic of the past—it is a calling for our present and a hope for our future.

Let us link arms like those who came before us. Let us vote, speak out, organize and refuse to be silent. Let us protect not just the laws of democracy, but the soul of it.

May we keep walking, keep marching, keep making good trouble and keep the promise of justice alive for generations to come.

Thank you.

(Song)

We shall overcome, we shall overcome, we shall overcome someday.

Deep in my heart, I do believe we shall overcome someday.

We’ll walk hand in hand, we’ll walk hand in hand, we’ll walk hand in hand someday

Deep in my heart, I do believe we shall overcome someday.

About Reverend Dr. DeLishia A. Davis

Reverend DeLishia A. Davis is the current president of the Arlington branch of the NAACP. She has been a Methodist pastor for nearly three decades and has served congregations in Ohio, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Virginia.  

In addition to her pastoral duties, Rev. Davis serves as the Chaplain of the National Council of Negro Women in Northern Virginia, providing spiritual guidance and support to empower women of color.  

As a board member for People for the American Way, Rev. Davis works to protect and expand the rights of all citizens. Beyond her advocacy work, Rev. Davis is also a dedicated English literature teacher. 

Arlington, VA Suffragist Mary Morris Lockwood

The Charlie Clark Center for Local History (CCCLH) sat down with Nancy Tate to talk about the origins of the women's suffrage movement and the historical marker for Arlington suffragist Mary Morris Lockwood (1871–1936).

Tate is a longtime member of the League of Women Voters of Arlington and Alexandria City and has served as the executive director of the League of Women Voters of the United States.

The marker is located next to the Arlington Science Focus Elementary School, at 1501 North Lincoln Street, across from Hayes Park, in Arlington, Virginia 22201.

This interview was recorded on May 30, 2025, at the Charlie Clark Center for Local History and is part of the VA voting rights exhibition "From Barriers to Ballots." You can read the transcript of the interview below or stream it online.

The transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

Image of Mary Morris Lockwood, weekly newspaper "The Suffragist," June 6, 1914, Library of VA.

Mary Morris Lockwood, Silent Sentinel

Mary Morris Lockwood lived in Arlington, VA, and was actively involved in the civic life of her community. She was also engaged in civic reforms. For instance, she helped found the library system of Arlington, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church and the Federation of Women's Clubs. She is particularly known as a very active suffragist.

Suffragists were women and men who worked very hard over a 72-year period to ensure equal voting rights for women.

And she did that living right here in Arlington. Both by setting up chapters of some of the suffrage groups in the state, raising money, lobbying her federal legislators from this district and marching in parades.

Parades were a common tactic to draw attention to the suffrage movement. Lockwood marched, for instance, in the very well-known 1913 march down Pennsylvania Avenue when thousands of women from around the country came to DC to show support for women’s right to vote.

She's particularly significant because she was one of the so-called Silent Sentinels, the women who stood in front of the White House every day for a year in 1917, holding banners saying: "Mr. President, how long must women wait for liberty?"

This photograph shows picketers marching from the National Women’s Party headquarters to their posts in front of the White House in 1917. Courtesy of the National Museum of American History.

A Letter from Mother

They were trying of course to influence President Woodrow Wilson to support a constitutional amendment to provide voting rights to women. It took him a while, but he ultimately urged Congress to pass it. And in 1919 Congress finally did that, sending it on to the state legislatures to ratify.

The 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in 1920, guaranteeing that the right to vote could not be denied on the basis of sex. **

But it was a hard-fought fight right to the end, because the amendment only passed by one vote in the legislature of the last state, Tennessee.  And that only happened when one young male legislator flipped his vote after receiving a letter from his mother urging him to do that.

You can't get better drama than this story of women finally getting into the Constitution!

The Suffragist, June 14, 1919. The Suffragist was created in 1913 by Alice Paul and the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage (later the National Woman’s Party) to spread women’s political news and garner public support for a suffrage amendment. Courtesy of the National Museum of American History.

It Took Many People

As a side note to that, these roadside markers are meant to honor and commemorate the many, many people who worked for over 72 years for women’s suffrage. Mary Lockwood was only one of the many who had become invisible over the years. As part of the 2020 centennial of the 19th Amendment, a wide range of efforts were undertaken to highlight the work of these suffragists.

And it's significant to know that there were active suffragists in Virginia, because the Virginia General Assembly was completely against women voting. They fought it to the very end.

Women like Mary Lockwood, who were going around the state and trying to educate people and get support, may be even more heroic than other suffragists around the country because they were facing so much hostility.

Sign, ca. 1920, designed to be placed in the window of a home so that all who passed would know that the woman within had exercised her right under the 19th Amendment and registered to vote. Courtesy of the National Museum of American History.

Organizing for Women’s Suffrage

The organized efforts to get the vote started in 1848. It took until the late 1800s, when some of the state legislatures, particularly in the Western states, began to allow women to vote. How they did that varied. Some of them allowed women to vote on every race up to president. Some said only the school board race, some said everything except the school board race. I guess in the West it was easier to see the equal contributions that women were making.

Regardless of the differences between states, it took multiple suffrage campaigns in every state to achieve voting rights for women.  It took petitions. It took marches. Sometimes it was legal action. Sometimes women such as Susan B. Anthony went to vote, knowing it was illegal, just to highlight the injustice of being arrested or fined for exercising their voice as citizens.

Women's suffrage postcard, 1915. A popular anti-suffrage argument claimed that entering the supposedly masculine world of politics would take away from women’s femininity. This postcard directly refutes that argument by giving examples of other tasks women commonly performed that were not considered feminine but were not thought to take away from their "womanliness." Courtesy of the National Museum of American History.

By the 1900s, More Momentum Was Building for the Women’s Vote

The women's rights movement started as part of the abolitionist movement. Over the years different groups evolved, and the movement splintered somewhat. There's a lot of complexity to this story, which we don't have time to go into here.

By the time you get into the 1910s, momentum was building. By 1918, women were already voting for president in a number of states. Senators and congressmen who had been elected from those states started making Congress more receptive to the suffrage arguments.

And during World War I, when so many women were doing so such much to support the war, it became harder, even for President Wilson, to ignore their exclusion from the body politic. In fact, he used this rationale in urging Congress to pass the amendment.

Photo of the historical marker for suffragist Mary Morris Lockwood, located at 1501 North Lincoln Street, across Hayes Park in Arlington, VA.
Photo of the historical marker for suffragist Mary Morris Lockwood, located at 1501 North Lincoln Street, across from Hayes Park in Arlington, VA.

Virginia Did Not Change its Own Constitution Until 1952

Just to get back to Virginia—and most of the Southern states—which, I must say were against women's voting rights because, of course, they were against Black voting rights. And why would they want Black women to vote when they were already trying to suppress the Black men? That was a block of states that was pretty hard to move.

The 19th Amendment passed in 1920. Women in some of the states had been voting since at least 1910. If every state had been left to handle the issue on its own, those of us who live in Virginia would have waited a whole lot longer to vote. Virginia did not change its own constitution until 1952.

It's quite a wonderful story and there are so many people who worked so hard to make women’s voting rights a reality. As I’ve said, many of their stories have not been told. Increasingly, there is an effort such as these roadside markers to tell those stories.

I’m happy to share such stories—like that of Mary Lockwood—with you.

**  It needs to be noted that the 19th Amendment did not enfranchise U.S. women who continued to be excluded from voting for reasons other than their sex. That included those who were not considered citizens (such as members of tribal organizations), those who were prevented by state Jim Crow laws, and those who lived in the District of Columbia.

About Nancy Tate

Nancy Tate is a longtime member of the Arlington League of Women Voters, now the League of Women Voters of Arlington and Alexandria City (LWV-AAC). She has served as president of the LWV-AAC and currently serves as chair of the history committee.

From 2000-2015, Tate served as the executive director of the National League of Women Voters, known as the League of Women Voters of the United States.

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization working to protect and expand voting rights. It operates at all levels—federal, state and local—to ensure everyone is represented in our democracy.

New August Releases

Great Reads for the Final Weeks of Summer

We’re very studiously ignoring the pumpkin spice that has started appearing on the shelves and are trying to enjoy these last few weeks of summer.

Summer Reading goes until September 1 and if you need help finishing, try one of these great new releases.

Four robots open a noodle shop and need community support when robophobes try to shut them down in the heart-warming "Automatic Noodle" by Annalee Newitz.

R. F. Kuang is a favorite of literary genre fans and she’s back with "Katabasis." This dark academia enemies-to-lovers story features two grad students using Orpheus and Dante as travel guides as they venture into hell to retrieve their advisor so they can get the recommendations they need.

August 6 and 9 mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Garret M. Graff’s oral history, "The Devil Reached Toward the Sky" covers everything from the giddy science of splitting the atom to the haunting and tragic effects on the survivors.

In the 1970s, the Bronx was burning. While the fires were largely blamed on tenants, Bench Ansfield’s "Born in Flames" shows that the fires were actually set by landlords themselves in a massive case of insurance fraud.

There are two horror books set in Blitz-era London for young readers coming out this month!

Middle grade readers will be terrified by Ryan James Black’s "The Dark Times of Nimble Nottingham" when a scavenging orphan sets loose a shadow monster. He’s always been a lone wolf, but now he has to band together with other street orphans to destroy the creature.

In "Death in the Dark" by Bryce Moore, teen readers will follow the sleuthing of the prime minister’s daughter, Mary, as she tries to catch a gruesome serial killer while dodging the falling bombs.

Place Your Holds Now!

More Book Lists to Explore

Atomic Bomb
The Voting Rights Act of 1965

New Exhibition Features Work of Former Voting Rights Activists

To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, Arlington Public Library has partnered with community organizations for the exhibition “From Barriers to Ballots—The Fight for Equal Voting Rights in Virginia,” to tell the stories of activists in Arlington and Northern Virginia who fought for voting rights.

At six locations in Arlington, Alexandria, and Fairfax, visitors can discover the stories of Annie E. Harper who hailed from the historic Black community of Gum Springs, VA; Hall’s Hill (now High View Park) activist Portia A. Haskins; and former Green Valley resident and community organizer John Robinson. Their tireless work impacted local communities in Northern Virginia and had vast implications for voting rights nationally, resulting in a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on March 24, 1966, that ended the Jim Crow era poll tax in Virginia, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas.

The exhibitions will be on view during regular opening hours from Aug. 1 to Nov. 4, 2025, at Bozman Government Center, Arlington Central Library, Arlington Historical Museum, Black Heritage Museum of Arlington, Sherwood Regional Library (Aug. 1-31), and City of Fairfax Regional Library (Sept. 1-Nov. 4).

Exhibition partners include the Arlington Historical Society, the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington, the League of Women Voters of Arlington and Alexandria City and the NAACP Arlington Branch.

Funding for “From Barriers to Ballots” has generously been provided by the Friends of the Arlington Public Library (FOAL).

Content for this exhibition has been provided by the Charlie Clark Center for Local History (CCCLH) and the following media contributors: Arlington County Department of Voter Registration and Elections; Bethlehem Baptist Church, Gum Springs, Virginia; City of Fairfax Regional Library, Fairfax County Public Library; Library of Congress; Library of Virginia; Norman Rockwell Museum and the Virginia Museum of Fine Art.

Join the library and community partners at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 6, at Central Library for the opening reception of the exhibition to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Find more events featuring voting rights history.

New June Releases

Kick off your Summer Reading with these new books.

June is here. With the end of school and the start of summer, this month gives us a great selection of books to kick off Summer Reading.

In "Making Friends Can Be Murder" by Kathleen West, six Minneapolis women, all named Sarah Jones, connect via Instagram and become friends. When a Sarah Jones who isn’t in the group turns up dead and one of their own is the prime suspect, they band together to investigate in this playful and quirky mystery.

The "Phoenix Pencil Company" by Allison King explores memory and story when a college freshman tries to reunite her grandmother with her long-lost cousin. In dual timelines, Monica journals in an online app while caring for her ailing grandparents. Meanwhile, her grandmother tells her story of espionage and betrayal when she was young in Japanese-occupied Shanghai. A luminous family saga awaits.

People often wonder at the point of studying such “silly” things as the tubercles on humpback whales, Yellowstone’s bacteria, or Gila monster venom. In "The Salmon Cannon and the Levitating Frog," Carly Anne York explains how discoveries build on discoveries and lead to important breakthroughs, such as more efficient wind turbines (the humpback whales) COVID-19 PCR testing (Yellowstone’s bacteria) and Ozempic (Gila monster venom).

From a carpet woven in the 3rd or 4th century BCE and discovered during an archaeological dig effected by the Russian Revolution, to one woven in 21st century Pakistan for commercial export, "Threads of Empire" by Dorothy Armstrong examines the conditions in which these objects were made, moved and found, and the people’s lives they touched along the way. An intriguing look at history that might literally be beneath our feet.

When Esme’s friend says she’s "too intense" from chasing after her mother’s approval, Esme vows a chill summer at the pool with her swim team. But a growth spurt has made Esme really fast this season, so her mother has started to take an interest. Unfortunately, her focus on winning and being the best feels unsportsmanlike to Esme. In Wendy Wan-Long Shang’s middle-grade book "The Best Worst Summer of Esme Sun," Esme must learn to listen to her inner voice as she balances her mother's approval with being a good teammate in this heartwarming story.

Last summer, Mandy’s best friend was killed in an accident. This summer, her family is back at the same vacation spot while Mandy, a true-crime podcaster, and the police start looking back into the case. Was it really that accidental? And how much fault does Mandy have? "Now She’s Dead" by Roselyn Clarke is a dark, twisty mystery that will keep teen readers guessing right to the end.

Place Your Holds Now!

More Book Lists to Explore

Library Director Diane Kresh shares her book recommendations to celebrate Pride.

Pride Guest List

Commemorate Juneteenth with these great reads.

Juneteenth

Celebrate WorldPride And Pride Month With Us

Share the Love

Come as you are to Arlington Public Library as we celebrate WorldPride and Pride Month with fun programs, creative book displays and our "Diverse Voices" book lists!

Discover Pride Programs

Pride Events

Queer Joy Art Party–Teen & Adult Edition

June 4, create hats, tote bags and fans in preparation for DC and WorldPride Fest and Parade. Grades 6-12 are welcome at 4:30 p.m., and adults can start their projects at 6 p.m.

RSVP

Take a Chance Book Club

June 9, join us to talk about "I Kissed Shara Wheeler" by Casey McQuiston (Young Adult).

RSVP

Family Art Night: Pride Month

For children and their adults. June 9, experiment, problem-solve and use your creativity by making a work of process-oriented art.

Join Us

Pride Lecture

June 16, Dr. David Powers Corwin (they/them) from George Mason University will focus on how it is possible to support the elimination of discrimination of those who do not fit society's traditional view about gender and sexuality.

RSVP

Never Too Old Book Club

June 17, join us online on ZOOM to talk about "Last Night at the Telegraph Club" by Malinda Lo. Because you're never too old to enjoy YA!

RSVP

Take-and-Make Rainbow Pride Bracelet

For children and teens. June 21, pick up a 'Take-And-Make bag' at Columbia Pike Library and make a rainbow Pride bracelet at home.

Join Us

Teen Pride Crafternoon

June 24, celebrate Pride Month by making keychains. Trace a pride design or draw your own design onto our special shrinky dink paper and shrink it into a fun new keychain!

Join Us

Glencarlyn Book Club: “Orlando”

June 24, join us at the library for a book discussion on "Orlando" by author Virginia Woolf.

RSVP

Teen Rock Painting at Glencarlyn

June 25, to commemorate Pride month, show your love of painting rocks with a Pride theme. All materials provided.

RSVP

Love is Love LGBTQIA+ Book Club

June 28, join us for a fun discussion of LGBTQIA+ themed books! Our monthly selection for June features "The Guncle Abroad" by Steven Rowley.

RSVP

Pride Guest List: Diane Kresh's 2025 Picks

Library Director Diane Kresh shares her book recommendations to celebrate Pride.

Diane Kresh's 2025 Picks

Learn About Arlington’s First Openly LGBTQIA+ Elected Official

In 1997, Jay Fisette became the first openly LGBTQIA+ person elected to office in the state of Virginia when he won a seat on the Arlington County Board. Listen to the oral history.

Oral History

Explore LGBTQIA+ Voices

The library maintains many Diverse Voices book lists for all ages, genres and interests designed to educate, raise awareness and entertain.

LGBTQIA+ Voices

New May Releases

Spring cleaning? We prefer spring reading. 🌸🧹📚

Turn off notifications, find a quiet spot in the shade and use these new books as the perfect excuse to ignore your to-do list.

When Cora’s son is born, everyone in the family disagrees on what to name him. "The Names" by Florence Knapp explores three different timelines, each stemming from what name the baby is given.  

You don’t need to be a racing fan to enjoy Karen Booth’s steamy enemies-to-loves romance, "Not So Fast." Formula 1 podcaster Mia has been going viral for her hot takes on struggling racer Xander, but when the two meet face-to-face, a different type of sparks begin to fly!  

The axe is one of humanity’s oldest tools and most chilling weapons. In "Whack Job," Rachel McCarthy James mixes true crime, pop culture and witty prose to trace a lethal legacy through the centuries, from royal executions in Tudor England to infamous modern crimes like Lizzie Borden. 

From closeted housewives to out teens, the entries from a lesbian helpline reveal a chorus of voices seeking connection and solidarity in 1990s London. Weaving these stories with her own, Elizabeth Lovatt’s "Thank You For Calling the Lesbian Line" asks vital questions about queer history and who gets remembered. 

Newbery Medal winner Erin Entrada Kelly shifts to nonfiction in her middle grade biography "At Last She Stood." Diagnosed with leprosy during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, Josefina "Joey" Guerrero was expected to disappear quietly. Instead, she used her disease to slip past Japanese checkpoints and delivered crucial intelligence to the Allies. This riveting account of Guerrero’s bravery brings an unsung World War II hero to light. 

Teen mystery fans will enjoy the sharp and funny "Death in the Cards" by Mia P. Manansala. Danika juggles tarot readings and part-time PI work at her mom’s detective agency—but when a classmate disappears after a chilling tarot session, Danika’s casual side hustle turns into a full-blown investigation involving secret identities, hidden movies and a growing web of suspects. 

Place Your Holds Now!

More Book Lists to Explore

Celebrate the many cultures and stories within the AANHPI community with hand-picked books by librarian Deborah K for Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month.

AANHPI Guest List

Explore these books, suggested by the Arlington County's Chavurah Employee Resource Group for Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM).

JAHM Guest List

Exhibition: From Barriers to Ballots

August 1-November 30

Black voters at the polls, ca. 1944-1962.
A Black man is entering a voting booth in Miami, Florida.
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, LC-USZ62-119976

Stars graphic in red, white and blue.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965

August 6 marks the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which some consider to be the crowning achievement of the 1960s Civil Rights movement. It was a milestone in the long struggle to extend political representation and voting rights to Black Americans.

From Barriers To Ballots:
The Fight for Equal Voting Rights in Virginia

To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, Arlington Public Library has partnered with several community organizations to tell the stories of activists, changemakers and everyday people in Arlington and Northern Virginia who fought for voting rights.

On View

The exhibitions have been extended at the following locations through Nov. 30:

from-barriers-to-ballots-title-graphic_300x240

Thank You

Exhibition partners include the Arlington Historical Society, the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington, the League of Women Voters of Arlington and Alexandria City and the NAACP Arlington Branch. 

Special thanks to the following media contributors: Arlington County Department of Voter Registration and Elections; Bethlehem Baptist Church, Gum Springs, Virginia; City of Fairfax Regional Library, Fairfax County Public Library; Library of Congress; Library of Virginia;
Norman Rockwell Museum and the Virginia Museum of Fine Art.

“From Barriers to Ballots” has generously been funded by the Friends of the Arlington Public Library (FOAL).

New Friends of the Library logo in bright colors. Tagline reads "Books are only the beginning"

“The goal is to develop a culture of voting in Arlington.”

Detta Kissel, volunteer, NAACP Arlington Branch

“We are a big mixing bowl and when I put in my vote, I add my ingredient. Every time I vote, I feel like an American.”

Dr. Scott Edwin Taylor, Ph.D., President, Black Heritage Museum of Arlington

“Voting is everything. Who you are. Your chance to give worth to your being, to care for your country. All of those things which make America great.”

Brenda Faison, Former Director of Christian Education and Missions, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Gum Springs, VA

Votes For The First Time

Votes for First Time at 79 by Harris & Ewing Inc.
Mrs. Lucy O’Leary of Arlington, VA, pictured on October 15, 1936. Her horse and wagon are adorned with banners endorsing Republican Alf Landon for President and Frank Knox for Vice President in the electoral race against Franklin D. Roosevelt. At age 79, Mrs. O’Leary cast her first ever vote in favor of Landon, who lost to Roosevelt by a landslide that November.
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, LC-DIG-hec-33957

Charlie Clark Center for Local History: Where Stories Live

The Charlie Clark Center for Local History

Content and research for this exhibition has been provided by the Charlie Clark Center for Local History (CCCLH).

The Charlie Clark Center for Local History (CCCLH) collects, preserves, and shares resources that illustrate Arlington County’s history, diversity and communities.

Contact the CCCLH at localhistory@arlingtonva.us or 703-228-7714 to find out how you can donate materials, photographs and memorabilia or to be a part of an oral history interview.

Visit the CCCLH

Ellen M. Bozman at 100

April 21, 2025, marks Ellen M. Bozman’s 100th birthday.

Bozman (1925-2009) was a community activist, politician and visionary leader who left behind a legacy which guided Arlington in transitioning from a suburban enclave to a bustling urban community while preserving the vitality of Arlington’s neighborhoods.

Ellen M. Bozman Papers (1961-2004)
Photo of Ellen M. Bozman at her desk.
Ellen M. Bozman at her desk; 1981 campaign brochure.

Bozman's Legacy Is Still Felt In The Arlington Community

Her prior planning experience gave Bozman the skills to help manage development in Metro corridors, allowing apartments, condominiums, single-family dwellings, parks and recreation areas to remain unchanged.

Her civic influence extended beyond her tenure as a board member through participation in various community organizations and governmental bodies. She advocated for controlled development, instituting services for the elderly and children and transparent government.

Photo of Ellen Bozman with Congressman Joe Fisher.

Ellen M. Bozman worked with former Congressman Joseph L. Fisher to get nearly 3 million dollars a year in federal funding for Arlington’s neighborhood conservation program; 1981 campaign brochure.

Photo of Ellen M. Bozman working at her seat on the Arlington County Board; 1970s.

Photo of Ellen M. Bozman working at her seat on the Arlington County Board; 1970s.

Photo of Ellen M. Bozman, attending the groundbreaking ceremony for C&P Telephone, one of the first companies to move into the new Courthouse Plaza in Arlington; 1987.

Ellen M. Bozman, pictured to the right, attends the groundbreaking ceremony for C&P Telephone, one of the first companies to move into the new Courthouse Plaza in Arlington; 1987.

Portrait of Ellen M. Bozman.

The Early Years

Bozman moved to the Arlington area in 1946 and entered civic life through the League of Women Voters, conducting public education campaigns supporting the integration of Arlington Public Schools.

She then served on several county commissions in the 1960s and early 1970s. Bozman was elected to the County Board in 1973 as an Independent, the first woman elected since 1958.

Bozman served from 1974 to 1997 on the Arlington County Board.

Bozman, a six-time board chair with 24 years of public service, is the longest serving Arlington County Board member (1974-1997).

In a time when few women held public leadership roles, she distinguished herself as a passionate leader and pioneer, effective consensus-builder and powerful agent of change.

Ellen M. Bozman featured as one of the "1986 Washingtonians of the year." Washingtonian Magazine, 1987.
Ellen M. Bozman featured as one of the "1986 Washingtonians of the year." Washingtonian Magazine, 1987.

In Her Own Words

“Since I joined the County Board in 1973, Arlington has become a community of rich diversity, expanding opportunities and ever more complex governmental challenges. I know we can meet whatever lies ahead due to the pride that Arlingtonians show for their community and their willingness to help make it better. I am privileged to have been a part of this process.”

Ellen M. Bozman
1985 campaign letter

A Tireless Advocate For Child Care & Affordable Housing

Her early initiatives included improving standards for child care, developing the first nursing homes in Arlington and advocating for tenants’ rights and affordable housing.

She also supported the first Arlington farmers market and Neighborhood Day and co-founded the Alliance for Housing Solutions, which works for affordable housing.

Bozman remained active in the county until her death on January 8, 2009.

Find more information about Ellen M. Bozman by visiting the Charlie Clark Center for Local History. (RG 333: Ellen M. Bozman Papers, 1961-2004)

ArlNow article by Scott McCaffrey (02/04/2025)

 



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