WFU to present lecture on the first black Marines
North Carolina historian Melton McLaurin will present a lecture titled “Fighting Segregation: World War Two and America’s First Black Marines” on Oct. 22 at 4 p.m. in Tribble Hall’s DeTamble Auditorium at Wake Forest University.
McLaurin is a professor of history and associate vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He has been published widely on the history of the American South, race relations and labor history.
One of his most well known works, “Celia, A Slave,” is a historical narrative of a young female slave brought to justice for her revenge on an abusive master. In the telling of the tale, McLaurin explores the legalities of slavery, the role of women in a predominantly male society and other realities of pre-Civil War America.
He received the Lillian Smith Award for Nonfiction presented by the Southern Regional Council for his autobiography “Separate Pasts: Growing Up White in the Segregated South.” The book chronicles McLaurin’s experiences growing up in Wade, N.C., in the 1950s.
Sponsored by the department of history and the office of the dean, the lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, call the department of history at 336-758-5501.
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