The North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport is gearing up for the start of the 2022 Third Tuesday series with a program on the experiences of free peoples of color in the South.
Warren Eugene Milteer Jr. will present “Exploring the South’s Free People of Color” during the first Third Tuesday Lectures of the year. The program will be at 7 p.m. Jan. 18 at the Southport Community Building, 223 E Bay St., downtown Southport. Third Tuesday Lectures took a hiatus in December.
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“We are thrilled to start the year with a fantastic speaker and set the tone for a wonderfully educational year,” Curator of Education Katy Menne said in a statement. “After the hectic holiday season, it is great to come back to the comfort of a schedule.”
Milteer will discuss segregation, exclusion, disfranchisement and discriminatory punishment that were ingrained in the collective experiences of free peoples of color.
An assistant professor of history at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, has published two academic books: “Beyond Slavery’s Shadow: Free People of Color in the South” and “North Carolina’s Free People of Color, 1715-1885.”
Pulling from his research, Milteer’s presentation will analyze the intersections between hierarchies of wealth, gender and occupation with ideas promoting white supremacy and discrimination, all centering in the American South.
The 2021 series of lectures started the year virtual but ended in-person, which will continue into the 2022 series. COVID-related changes are still in place, including a masks requirement and social distancing.
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Continued understanding of the changing times is greatly appreciated by the staff, Museum Manager Lori Sanderlin said in a statement.
“We’re excited about being able to resume in-person programming in the new year,” Sanderlin said. “One of the reasons we’ve been able to do so is thanks to the community’s understanding and support of the practices in place. We are cautiously optimistic and will continue to monitor trends and state guidelines as we move through the year.”
Seating is limited. To reserve a spot, contact the museum at 910-477-5151, by email at Katy.Menne@ncdcr.gov or online through ncmaritimemuseumsouthport.com/events.
The North Carolina Maritime Museum system includes Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras, the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Beaufort and the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport. All are part of the Division of State History Museums in the NC Department of Cultural Resources.
