2025 AHS History Awards

Carol P. Black is a preservation advocate who has played a key role in preserving important historic resources in Alexandria. She has worked tirelessly to ensure necessary repairs to the Alexandria Elks Lodge #48 building and the Jones Point Lighthouse, forging connections with experts, community activists, civil service employees, and elected officials. Black has also served on the Historic Alexandria Resources Commission (HARC) since 2019. Outside of her preservation work, Black served as a production attorney for NBC Universal, and as the Administrative Counsel for the US House of Representatives. Black holds a B.A. in Journalism from the University of South Carolina and a J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law.

Krystyn Moon is a professor of History and American Studies at the University of Mary Washington who has spent more than a decade researching and sharing the history of Alexandria, Virginia. Her publications have primarily highlighted Alexandria’s African American and immigrant histories. Additionally, she co-chaired the Alexandria African American Heritage Trail Committee, is a past president of the Alexandria Historical Society, and frequently collaborates with the Office of Historic Alexandria on research projects. Her book Proximity to Power: Rethinking Race and Place in Alexandria, Virginia will be published in July 2025 by the University of North Carolina Press. Moon holds a B.A. in American studies from Pomona College and a Ph.D. in History from the John Hopkins University.

The Alexandria Archaeological Commission (AAC), the first in the country, has a mandate to advise City leadership on key issues that impact the Archaeology department and staff. Now in its 50th year, the AAC has played an important role in the hiring of the city’s first archaeologist and the creation of the city’s archaeology protection code, which governs archaeological excavations in the city. They also played a major role in the creation of the Alexandria Archaeology Museum, Tide Lock Park, the Contraband and Freedmen’s Memorial, and the African American Heritage Park. Today there are 3,000,000 artifacts that AAC shares the responsibility with the City to preserve for future generations.