'Historically Speaking' series explores unresolved issues of slavery at the American Civil War Center

RICHMOND, Va., Oct. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --  On Wednesday, October 24 at 7 p.m., the American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar will explore the unresolved issues of Northern and Southern whites and African Americans regarding American slavery and its aftermath.

Featured experts for Historically Speaking: Estranged Triangle will be award-winning writer and director Katrina Browne, founder of the Tracing Center on Histories and Legacies of Slavery and Joseph Montville, a former diplomat and director of the Program on Healing Historical Memory at the School of Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University.

The discussion will be facilitated by Rob Corcoran, national director of Initiatives of Change USA, a diverse network of concerned professionals and community leaders dedicated to building bridges of trust across racial, religious, political and class lines.

Seating is limited for this free event. Registration is strongly suggested at www.tredegar.org. Free parking is available on site.

The American Civil War Center is presenting the discussion in partnership with the Richmond-based Initiatives of Change USA/Hope in the Cities, the Tracing Center on Histories and Legacies of Slavery in Watertown, MA, and the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA.

Browne began an unexpected personal and historical journey while doing her family's genealogy. She discovered that her ancestors, the DeWolfs of New England, were among the early nation's largest slave traders. Her research and work culminated in the award-winning Traces of the Trade documentary and the Tracing Center.

Montville spent 23 years as a diplomat with posts in the Middle East and North Africa. Educated at Lehigh, Columbia, and Harvard Universities, Montville is also Director of the Program on Healing Historical Memory at the School of Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University. As someone born in the South, he has devoted considerable time to exploring legacies of the Civil War in national discourse and how it impacts regional differences and conflicts in contemporary society.

In 1990, Corcoran founded Hope in the Cities. The flagship program for Initiatives of Change promotes honest conversation on race, reconciliation, and responsibility. Corcoran has developed an effective multi-sector approach for dialogue and community change that has been adopted both nationally and internationally.

The American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar is the nation's first museum to interpret the Civil War from three essential perspectives – Union, Confederate, and African American. The Center opened in October 2006 with the mission to tell the whole story of the conflict that still shapes our nation. Last year, the American Civil War Center, in partnership with the Richmond Battlefield Park of the National Park Service, was selected by the Richmond Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau to serve as the Richmond Region's Gateway to the Civil War. The Center is also part of the Smithsonian Institution Affiliations Program. For more information about the center, visit www.tredegar.org

Contact: Penelope Carrington Wallace
The American Civil War Center
(804) 780-1865 Ext. 21
[email protected]

SOURCE The American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar