Alexandria police wear specialty badge to honor Black history, spark community dialogue
Officers Williams and Elam designed the shield as part of APD's specialty badge program to acknowledge Black Americans' history, achievements and sacrifices
Each February and on Juneteenth, officers with the Alexandria Police Department pin on a specialty badge that carries more than ceremonial weight — a shield accented with red, gold and green stripes meant to honor Black history and open doors to conversation in the community they serve.
The department announced on Feb. 1 that officers are authorized to wear the Juneteenth and Black History Month badge throughout the month. The badge was created by Officer Vincent Williams and Officer Erik Elam as part of the department’s specialty badge program, with a goal the two officers say was intentional: to acknowledge the history, achievements and contributions of Black Americans.
“This Juneteenth badge is an expression of my diversity and I love it,” said Williams, a patrol officer who recently marked his eighth anniversary with the department. “It’s a collective — of everyone, representing all types of people from different walks of life.”
The badge carries particular significance in a city with a complex racial history. The Alexandria Police Department hired its first African American officer in 1965, during a period of profound social change across the country. In 2009, the department reached another milestone with the appointment of its first African American chief of police.
Williams said the badge program gives officers a way to express pride in their identity alongside pride in the department. “I’m proud of my Black heritage and my department,” he said. “These specialty badges allow officers to express themselves.”
Elam, who has served the Alexandria community for more than 10 years as a member of the department’s Youth Resource Unit, said heritage is at the core of the badge’s meaning.
“Heritage is everything — my family is a mix of African American, Native American, Caucasian and Hispanic,” Elam said. “We’re a diverse group, and that’s what makes us, us. Your heritage is your legacy, and we move forward when we talk about our history.”
The badge is part of a broader citywide observance. This year marks 100 years of national recognition of Black history, and Alexandria is marking the milestone with events throughout February, including a free concert on Feb. 8 featuring Washington Revels Jubilee Voices, the opening of the Elrich Murphy Photograph Collection on Feb. 21 and a family program on Feb. 28 highlighting the book “Fight for the Right to Read,” about the 1939 sit-down strike for library reading equality led by Samuel Wilbert Tucker. DASH, the city’s bus system, is running a “Freedom Moves Forward” bus wrap throughout the month in observance of Transit Equity Day.
For Elam, wearing the badge is both personal and collective. “At APD, we have a diverse group of people, working as one,” he said. “I wear this badge during Juneteenth and Black History Month with a sense of pride, paying homage to my family roots.”
A full schedule of the city’s Black History Month events is available at alexandriava.gov/BlackHistoryMonth.