Topics Related to Lectures

The end of the Civil War brought several firsts for African Americans, .most notably the election to local, state, and federal offices. From the North Carolina state legislature to the United States Congress, African American North Carolinians served their nation in political positions.

The State Archives of North Carolina will host a virtual presentation, “Discovering and Telling Lost and Unknown Stories: A Family Odyssey,” Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2-3 p.m.  Deputy Secretary for Archives and History, Dr. Darin Waters, will discuss his research into the Rice and Waters families of western N.C., the importance of the State Archives and other public collections, and his donations of family materials. Join this free webinar to celebrate Black History Month and consider the significance of family and regional history for North Carolina.

The far-reaching and impactful accomplishments and contributions of women often have been often overlooked in North Carolina and the nation. During Women’s History Month in March agencies within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources will highlight some of the significant achievements of North Carolina Women through virtual programs and in-person exhibits.East

Initially enslaved by North Carolina native President James K. Polk, Elias Polk took up the fight for black economic independence after the Civil War. His advocacy and rise as a leading black conservative in the southeast will be examined in a virtual program presented by the President James K. Polk State Historic Site Saturday, Feb. 20, 10 a.m. 

Programs celebrating women’s history will be offered at venues of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources in March. This month continues the department’s celebration of women’s fight for suffrage and equality, with the theme, “She Changed the World: North Carolina Women Breaking Barriers.” The commemoration of the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage from March 2019 to November 2020 will expand on contributions of North Carolina women to the state and nation.

Chapel Hill musician John Santa may call himself "an accidental bluegrass musician," but he knows the roots of the music in North Carolina.
 
Santa, who says music enriched his life in so many ways, will discuss North Carolina bluegrass history during a free program presented by the N.C. Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped Wednesday, Dec. 4, 1–2:30 p.m. at the Governor Morehead School Auditorium, Lineberry Building, 303 Ashe Ave., Raleigh. 
 
The program is free. 
 

The North Carolina Government and Heritage Library will host the last event in their fall #EverythingNC: Author Series Saturday, Nov. 16 at 11 a.m. with a discussion and book signing with Dr. Lea E. Williams, author of “We Who Believe in Freedom: The Life and Times of Ella Baker.”

In celebration of October as North Carolina Archaeology Month, a series of free lectures will be presented by the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology on a broad range of subjects, including the underwater coastal heritage of North Carolina, history of channel improvements in the Cape Fear River, and Moravian pottery production in Old Salem.

Six-time Tony Award-winning costume designer William Ivey Long says all roads lead to North Carolina. That will be the case on Wednesday, May 16 when Long visits Raleigh for a talk about his career and a preview of four costumes inspired by French paintings for a one-night-only event.
 
Presented by the North Carolina Arts Council and Museum of History, the evening kicks off at 7 p.m. with a talk with Long, who grew up in Seaboard, N.C., and Bobbi Owen, author of the recently published book, “The Designs of William Ivey Long.”
 

The Tryon Palace African American Lecture Series continues in July with "How We Got Over: Singing Praises of Struggles from Cradle to Grave," Thursday, July 21, at 7 p.m. in Cullman Performance Hall at the North Carolina History Center.