On September 12, 2016, Alexandria’s Mayor Allison Silberberg signed the official Proclamation Commemorating Constitution Week, September 17 – 23, 2016, in Council Chambers at City Hall.
Participating in the signing were students from Mt. Vernon Community School, Jefferson-Houston and Samuel W. Tucker and Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy. Also attending were Alexandria City Public School (ACPS) Superintendent Alvin Crawley, Karen Graf, ACPS School Board Chair, and members of local DAR chapters.
To commemorate the Constitution, students from the four schools sang the “Preamble” and “The Bill of Rights RAP.” The music was composed by Debra Lindsay, Music Teacher, Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy.
Also, highlighted was the role Virginians — James Madison, George Mason, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington – played in shaping the document.
The tradition of celebrating the U.S. Constitution began in 1956 after the Daughters of the American Revolution petitioned Congress. Public Law 915 was passed. The aims of Constitution Week are to emphasize the citizens’ responsibilities for protecting the Constitution, educate people about the role of the Constitution and encourage the study of historical events leading to the drafting of the U.S. Constitution in September 1787.
Known as the largest women’s patriotic organization in the world, the DAR has over 175,000 members with approximately 3,000 chapters in 50 states and 13 foreign countries. The DAR promotes patriotism through celebrations and activities for children and new immigrants.
