Historical lectures June 17 to commemorate Juneteenth

It was more than two and a half years after President Lincoln declared emancipation for all African Americans in the United States that Union soldiers informed enslaved people in Texas of their liberation. The date was June 19, 1865, after the Civil War had ended. Also called Freedom Day or the Black Fourth of July, June 19, known as Juneteenth, commemorates the official end of slavery in the United States and is celebrated throughout the country.

In recognition of Juneteenth and the 150-year anniversary of the 15th Amendment which gave black men the right to vote, the Jane and Littleton Mitchell Center for African American Heritage at the Delaware Historical Society will host an online presentation about the era by Christy Coleman.

To Be Free, A Citizen and a Voter: African American Agency in the Civil War will be presented on Zoom by DHS at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.,  Wednesday, June 17. Registration is required. Among the most pernicious inaccuracies of the Civil War era is the notion that African Americans, enslaved and free, played no significant role in the war or its aftermath.

Coleman will highlight key moments leading up to, during, and after the conflict. Particular emphasis will be given to the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments during the Reconstruction Period.

Coleman grew up in Williamsburg, Va., and earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Hampton University. She currently serves as executive director of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation in Williamsburg.

A tireless advocate for the power of museums, narrative correction and inclusion, she’s an innovator and leader in the history museum field. Coleman strives to make museum experiences and shared history meaningful to diverse communities. She has written numerous articles, is an accomplished screenwriter and public speaker, and has appeared on several national programs.

For more information and to register and receive sign-in information, go to www.dehistory.org.