Alexandria’s diverse population includes 22% African Americans who celebrate and revere their heritage. However, little is known about Samuel Wilbert Tucker, an African American lawyer and civil rights leader, who was involved in one of the most influential events in Alexandria's black history. This civil rights act occurred 15 years before the 1954 Montgomery Bus Boycott and 20 years before the 1960 sit-in at the Woolworth's counter in Greensboro, NC but has gone largely unnoticed. The 1939 Sit-In was the first of its kind and 2014 marked the 75th anniversary of this monumental event that changed library access for African Americans and other minorities in Alexandria. A public awareness campaign regarding the role and value of the Alexandria Library to the African American community was necessary.

A planning committee of staff and community partners developed a plan for the yearlong series of events, with a culminating celebration on August 21 at the original site. Ensuring cohesion between the events and the marketing strategy, the committee created a logo and tagline specifically to be used to market the events. Encouraging inclusion, all staff were allowed to vote for their choice. In an attempt to capture any online searches concerning sit-ins, the Library purchased the domain name librarysitin.org. Throughout the year, the Library held an array of events tailored to the sit-in and its importance to the community.

The public awareness campaign was a major success for the Library. The objectives to develop a robust communications plan, increase programming and ensure national recognition of the Sit-In were all met. The process has been established as a best practice when organizing any significant event for the Library. As a result, programming increased by 62%. The celebration received national media attention, including National Public Radio, the Tom Joyner Morning Show, and The Washington Post. The biggest challenge was collecting data from our attendees about the events. Initially, we lacked consistency in collecting, storing, and processing the data. We learned that when collecting data from multiple locations, it is best to have a centralized location for storage to ensure proper reception of feedback results.