Lecture: “Descendants” by John W. Durel
Sunday, October 18, 2026
3–4:30 p.m.
Lloyd House, 220 North Washington Street, Alexandria
$15; $12 for Historic Alexandria members and volunteers
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Join Historic Alexandria at Lloyd House for a series of lectures featuring local authors, with the second featuring John W. Durel, author of "Descendants: The divided Lineage of a Louisiana Creole Family." "Descendants" raises questions of racial identity, interracial relationships, and racism as experienced by eight generations of a Creole family living in New Orleans from the mid-eighteenth into the twenty-first century. Each chapter relates stories of individuals whose lives were shaped by race in the context of the times in which they lived, revealing evolving attitudes, behaviors, and laws, with implications for our understanding of race in America today.
The author will present an overview of the book, read excerpts, and lead a discussion of some of the surprising stories that surfaced through his extensive historical and genealogical research. Born in Thibodaux, Louisiana, John Durel holds a PhD in American History from the University of New Hampshire. Following a career working in and consulting with museums nationwide and internationally, in 2019 he returned to his interest in historical research and writing. "Descendants" is his first book.
About the Office of Historic Alexandria
The Office of Historic Alexandria preserves and shares the history of the City of Alexandria with eight museums, historic sites, archives, archaeology, tours, exhibits, and public programs. Through powerful storytelling and confronting the City’s past, Historic Alexandria enriches the present and inspires the future. We enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors and serve as a partner in the City’s equity and inclusion initiatives. For more information, visit alexandriava.gov/Historic.
For reasonable disability accommodation, contact Nicole Quinn at historicalexandria@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.4554, Virginia Relay 711.
If you prefer communication in another language, free interpretation and translation services are available to you, please email LanguageAccess@alexandriava.gov or call 703-746-3960.