Patriots Point to offer free Black History Month symposium Friday

  • Staff report
  • Posted: Wednesday, February 8, 2012 12:01 a.m.
    UPDATED: Sunday, March 18, 2012 5:14 p.m.
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Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum will offer a free symposium at noon Friday in recognition of Black History Month.

Entitled 'Hometown Heroes: The Struggles and Accomplishments of Black Veterans,' the event will be held aboard the World War II-era aircraft carrier Yorktown in the Smokey Stover Theater.

It will highlight the personal struggles, challenges and triumphs of African-American leaders in the community.

Congressman Tim Scott will begin the program and share his experiences as member of Congress, Charleston County Council and the South Carolina House of Representatives.

Moderated by Warren Peper of The Post and Courier, a panel discussion will follow with remarks by Helen Richards, sister of Ralph Johnson, a Medal of Honor recipient; Maj. Gen. Abraham Turner, executive director of the state Department of Employment and Workforce; Col. Joseph Dawson Jr., a Vietnam War veteran and commandant of Military Magnet Academy; Sgt. Brian McCann, a veteran of Grenada; Staff Sgt. Stephen Tinney, a U.S. Air Force veteran and head of Lincoln High School JROTC; and Marcus Cox, local author, associate professor of history and founding director of African-American studies at The Citadel.

Also during February, Patriots Point is hosting a special Black History Month exhibit, which will feature a vitual scrapbook of the Yorktown's black sailors during World War II.

The exhibit will include a timeline of African-American Navy veterans from the Civil War to the present and will highlight such heroes as Civil War riverboat pilot Robert Smalls, World War II Navy Cross winner Doris Miller, female military officers of the 20th century and Vietnam Medal of Honor recipient Ralph Johnson.

"These men and women are truly heroes," said Mac Burdette, Patriots Point executive director. "Often, because of their race, their deeds were overlooked. Our job is to tell their story and to tell it accurately.

We are honored to have such a distinguished panel and hope the community will join us to meet them and gain a greater understanding about their experiences and achievements."

For more information, go to patriotspoint.org.