Learn about the Civil War and Black History this February at the Daniel Island Library

Black History month and the Civil War’s 150th anniversary will collide this February. Consider coming to the Daniel Island Library to hear how famous African Americans influenced the Civil War.

Join us for a fascinating lecture series spotlighting several different aspects of slavery from the American Revolution to the Civil War.  The event features three experienced and knowledgeable speakers. Donald West is a history teacher at Trident Technical College. Ron Roth’s distinguished career includes working as the curator for the Central Pennsylvania African American History Museum. While there, he designed a permanent exhibit on the Underground Railroad. Nic Butler, Ph.D., is the archivist and historian for the Charleston County Library System. He is an author, a frequent lecturer, and the radio show host of the “Charleston Time Machine.”

Donald West  Wednesday 2/1  1:30-3
African Americans and the Civil War
What role did black people play in preserving the Union and ending slavery? With (or without) a period uniform, including Springfield rifle, Donald West will present a brief history of African Americans and the Civil War which includes data, facts and figures, and key people.

Ron Roth  Thursday 2/2 1:30-3
Bound for Canaan: The Underground Railroad and the African American Quest for Freedom
The story of the Underground Railroad is one of the most epic in American History.  This presentation describes the heroic efforts of African Americans and whites to hide and guide runaway slaves in their desperate journeys to freedom in the north and in Canada.  Highlights of the presentation include first person narratives of escaping runaway slaves and their encounters with slave catchers and kidnappers; the courageous work of railroad “conductors” like Harriet Tubman; and the role of plantation slavery, African American churches and slave uprisings like the Stono Rebellion in South Carolina in generating the growth of the Underground Railroad.

Nic Bulter  Monday 2/6 1:30-3
From Charleston Slavery to African Freedom: Two Amazing True Stories

Join historian Dr. Nic Butler for a discussion of the lives of two men, John Kizell and Boston King, who escaped slavery in the Charleston area during the American Revolution and made their way back to Africa. Two centuries ago these pioneering men helped to establish communities for African Americans who sought to return to their motherland.

This lecture series is funded by a grant from the South Carolina Humanities.

About schumanities.org: The mission of South Carolina Humanities is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. This not-for-profit organization presents and/or supports literary initiatives, lectures, exhibits, festivals, publications, oral history projects, videos and other humanities-based experiences that reach more than 250,000 citizens annually. South Carolina Humanities receives funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities as well as corporate, foundation and individual donors. It is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors comprised of community leaders from throughout the state.