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Press Release: 06/01/08 |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE/OPPORTUNITY FOR COVERAGE TO: All News Directors Press Contacts: |
THE COMMUNITY FOLK ART CENTER Guest Speaker: Felicia Bell Presentation: "Enslaved Labor & the U.S. Capitol" Syracuse, NY – The Community Folk Art Center is honored to host guest speaker Felicia Bell, Director of Education and Outreach at the United States Capitol Historical Society J. Currently a doctoral candidate in the Department of History at Howard University, Ms. Bell will present her work about the building trades and use of slave labor to build the United States Capitol. Her research has attracted the attention of lawmakers and in November 2007 she gave expert witness testimony before Congress about the use of black labor to build the United States Capitol. Her testimony, along with others, resulted in a bill naming the Capitol Visitors Center's great hall, "Emancipation Hall." President George W. Bush signed the bill into law in December 2007. Ms. Bell was inspired to do research and create the Society's traveling exhibit, "From Freedom's Shadow: African Americans and the United States Capitol," after taking a guided tour of the Capitol where the contributions of African Americans was scarcely a subject of discussion. The exhibit examined the black experience at the Capitol from construction of the building to the experiences of current African American Members of Congress. Prior to moving to Washington, D. C., Ms. Bell was the Director of Education and Programs at the Coastal Heritage Society in Savannah, Georgia. She graduated from Savannah State University, the oldest public university in Georgia for African Americans, in 1998 with a bachelor's degree in history. She earned a master's degree in historic preservation in 2002 from Savannah College of Art and Design, which has been recognized as one of the nation's leading institutions in historic preservation. Ms Bell’s presentation with will be followed by a Q&A session and light reception. Bring a friend and join in the conversation. The Community Folk Art Center will host several guest speakers and film screenings in conjunction with the exhibition throughout the month of June. Please contact the CFAC offices at 315-442-2230 or visit us at www.communityfolkartcenter.org for a full schedule of events. The Community Folk Art Center is a part of the Department of African American Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences at Syracuse University. |
The Community Folk Art Center is a program of the African American
Studies Department in the College of Arts & Sciences at Syracuse University and |
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