Good evening. First of all, thank you, all, for coming out on this rainy evening. I know its a little bit of a channel. I think its going to be well worth your time to be here this evening for this discussion. Its my pleasure to welcome you to tonights program entitled historically speaking we return fighting world war i and the shaping of the modern black identity. Published by smithsonian books, we return fighting is a collection of essays that chronicle the experiences of men and women who serve the country on the battlefield as well as on the home front and their struggles for civil rights. One of the many things we will learn this evening is that while the Civil Rights Movement was decades away, world war i established important questions of citizenship that paied the way toward future progress. We are fortunate to be joined tonight by uty director and editor of we return fighting which includes outstanding scholarship and images and the images are really very powerful of american
Good evening, good evening. First of all thank you for coming out on this rainy evening, i know its a challenge but i think it will be well worth your time to be here this evening for this discussion. It is my pleasure to welcome you to our program entitled historically speaking, we return fading, world war one and the shaping of the modern black identity. Published by story in books, this is a collection of essays that chronicles the experiences of men and women who served the country on the battlefield, as well as on the home front. And their struggles for civil rights. One of the main things we learned this evening is that while the Civil Rights Movement is decades away, world war i established important questions about citizenship that paved the way towards future progress. We are fortunate to be joined tonight by kinshasha holman, the images are very powerful. They are of americans on the home front. It also gives us a different look at African Americans when they return from the
He believes are crucial in understanding the conflict. This talk is part of a symposium held at the library of virginia in richmond. Our last speaker is well known to to all of you, gary gallagher, he is the the third professor in history of the American Civil War eme trchlt itus and the founding director of our cosponsor, the center for civil war studies at the university of virginia. And knowing that gary was about to retire a number of years ago and move west, ive been writing just about every introduction for him over the last few years as if it were the last time we were going to see him in richmond. I want to take this opportunity now to apologize to gary for trying to show him the door and kick him out of the state every time he speaks here. Im very happy to have been wrong in my assumption that garys retirement would mean farewell and very pleased that in his retirement gary remains a fixture in the commonwealth. As i think Everybody Knows and appreciates, garys contributions t
American civil war emirates at the university of virginia and the founding director of our cosponsor john l mal iii studies at university of virginia. And knowing is that gary was about to retire number of years ago and move west ive been writing about every introduction for him in the last few years as if it were the last time wed see him in richmond, i apologize to gary to frying to kick him out of the state every time he speaks. Im very happy to have been wrong in my assumption that garys retirement meant farewell and very surprised he remains a fixture in the commonwealth. Im sure everyone knows garys contributions to the field of study are many and varied including writing more than 30 books and hundreds of artic thes and reviews articles and reviews and a frequent contributor and columnist in prominent civil war magnificent zee magazines and editor of the most popular civil war books civil war series and mentor to scores of students at penn state university. And university of vir
Representatives former florida senator, respected attorney become a person highly engaged in our community and the friends of the college, congressman lincoln deas. [applause] thank you, very much. It is a privilege for me to be here today to introduce a man that i have not met until today dance i already admired. Senator tom cotton was a student at Harvard Law School on september 11, 2001. One of the most tragic venice day of the internation. On that day tom cotton made the decision that he was going to serve the United States in uniform on the front lines. After law school he joined the 101st Airborne Division of the u. S. Army. When he volunteered for service the recruiter was taken by surprise. Tom cotton the harvard law graduate did not wish to be a jake lawyer, he wanted to be an infantry man, while serving here in the bronze star, the combat infantry man badge in the ranger he served in iraq and subsequently in afghanistan. After serving in iraq before serving in afghanistan he