Civil War Sesquicentennial Photography Exhibit To Visit Forsyth, Robeson Libraries

RALEIGH – The Civil War savaged lives yet secured the future of generations in North Carolina and the rest of the nation, and altered the course of American history. The injustices suffered by African Americans were a major cause of the American Civil War (1861-1865). The fight for liberation is one aspect seen in the “Freedom, Sacrifice, Memory: Civil War Sesquicentennial Photography Exhibit” (www.nccivilwar150.com), which will visit the Forsyth County Public Library in Winston-Salem and the Robeson County Public Library in Lumberton from Aug. 1- 29.

“The Civil War was the first war widely covered with photography,” explains Deputy Secretary Dr. Jeffrey Crow of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. “The ‘Freedom, Sacrifice, Memory’ exhibit provides images of historic figures, artifacts, and documents that brought the reality of the war from the battlefront to the home front, then and now.”

The exhibit will commemorate the bravery and resiliency of North Carolinians throughout the Civil War with stimulating images gathered from the State Archives (www.archives.ncdcr.gov), the N.C. Museum of History (www.ncmuseumofhistory.org), and State Historic Sites (www.nchistoricsites.org). A total of 24 images will be displayed by the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources (www.ncculture.com) in 50 libraries throughout the state from April 2011 through May 2013. A notebook will accompany the exhibit with further info rmation and also seeking viewer comments.

The collection depicts African Americans, women and militiamen, including images of artifacts and official documents. One picture depicts an African American Union soldier in the U.S. Colored Troops (U.S.C.T.) from a Civil War re-enactment program. More than 5,000 North Carolina blacks are documented as having served in the U.S.C.T. for the Union Army and Navy. Despite resentment from Confederates, African Americans dutifully served, paving their way to freedom.

The statewide tour will visit various regions presenting the importance of North Carolinians in the Civil War and educating viewers about each area’s participation and commitment during this tumultuous time.

For info rmation on the Forsyth exhibit call the library (336) 703-3011. For info rmation on the Robeson exhibit call the library at (910) 738-4859. For tour info rmation contact the Department of Cultural Resources at (919) 807-7389.

The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources is the state agency with the mission to enrich lives and communities, and the vision to harness the state’s cultural resources to build North Carolina ’s social, cultural and economic future. Information on Cultural Resources is available 24/7 at http://www.ncculture.com/