In search of a more inclusive history, public historian Sam Collins III will share how he has worked to “fill in the gaps” in our shared story. The talk is co-sponsored by the Poughkeepsie community organization Celebrating the African Spirit, whose Co-Chair, Carmen McGill, will introduce the speaker.

In addition to being a public historian, Sam Collins is a community activist well-known in Galveston, TX. He has brought to light the many “hidden histories” of the region. His scholarship spans U.S. and Mexican history as well as the trans-Atlantic slave trade. He is also an important spokesperson regarding the burial ground for the Sugar Land 95, African American victims of a convict leasing program in Sugar Land, TX; the struggle for absolute equality related to the Juneteenth story; the United States Colored Troops fighting for their own freedom; and the fingerprints of the enslaved people that surround us.

Sponsored by the Departments of Political Science, Africana Studies and Prison Studies, American Studies, International Studies; the History Department’s C. Mildred Thompson Fund; the Dean of the Faculty Office; and Celebrating the African Spirit.