Upcoming Public Events
Looking for something to do? Check out our upcoming programs below!
Reconstruction Speaker Series
Let’s Talk Reconstruction is a three-part speaker series presented by USCB’s Institute for the Study of the Reconstruction Era. The series features guest speakers from a variety of backgrounds who will explore topics central to understanding the untold stories and unsung figures of the Reconstruction Era, as well as its relevance to modern society.
Three Upcoming Dates:
- Thursday, September 18th, 2025 at 6 PM
- Thursday, November 20th, 2025 at 6 PM
- Thursday, January 15th, 2026 at 6 PM
Let's Talk Reconstruction: African American Religious & Spiritual Traditions
Date & Time: Thursday, September 18th, 2025 from 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM Location: First African Baptist Church, 601 New St., Beaufort, SC 29902
Register in Advance (not required)
Join the Institute for the Study of the Reconstruction Era and their host partner, Beaufort SC’s First African Baptist Church, for an interactive discussion on the origins of African American religious and spiritual traditions from the Reconstruction Era to the present day.
Guest presenters include Dr. Chanda Powell, Interpretive Ranger at the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park, and Dr. Harry H. Singleton III, Lilly Director of Faith-Based Education and Engagement at the International African American Museum.
Let's Talk Reconstruction: TITLE TBD
Date & Time: Thursday, November 20th, 2025 from 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM Location: TBD
Featuring Dr. Francena Turner, ISRE Mellon Humanities Postdoctoral Fellow, discussing her recent research.
Let's Talk Reconstruction: TITLE TBD
Date & Time: Thursday, January 15th, 2026 from 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Featuring a discussion by USCB's Dr. Mollie Barnes regarding topics relating to her upcoming publication Paper Heroines: Women Writers in Conversation and Community Across the Sea Islands, 1838-1902, available February 05, 2026.
ISRE Upcoming Presentation Schedule
ISRE staff participate in a variety of conferences, events and online webinars. Check out our schedule below to see where we're going to be and find out how you can attend our presentations.
Tuesday, September 23, 2025, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Legacy of Freedom Webinar - Archives of Reconstruction with ISRE
Virtual - Registration Required
ISRE is honored to participate in a virtual webinar series by the International African American Museum's Center for Family History. During this webinar ISRE staff will explore the rich historical significance of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) pension archives. Interim Director Dr. Valinda Littlefield, Projects & Program Coordinator Rhonda Carey and Research Associate Elizabeth Laney will share insights into how these invaluable records shed light on the lives and legacies of Black soldiers and their families after the Civil War.
Learn more and register for the FREE webinar here.
Saturday, October 11, 2025 at 11:30 am
Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society Annual Conference
Charleston, SC
ISRE will present "Recovering Reconstruction Community Histories through the Pension Records of US Colored Troop Veterans" at AAHGS's 2025 Annual Conference - Tracing African American Ancestry: Building Witnessing& Shaping the Americas.
To learn more about the conference and how you can attend ISRE's session visit the AAHGS conference webpage here.
Friday, November 07, 2025 at 4:15 pm
Southern Historical Association Annual Meeting
St. Pete Beach, FL
ISRE will participate in the roundtable "Interpreting United States Colored Troops Histories in Classrooms, Scholarship & Public Spaces."
To learn more about the 2025 SHA Annual Meeting and how you can attend ISRE's panel, you can visit the SHA Annual Meeting website here.
ISRE Outreach
Let us come to you! ISRE staff is available to visit you and your community. We have a variety of presentations available. Take a look at the topics below and let us know if you'd like us to come to your community.
Want to request an ISRE staff member to speak to your group? The following presentations are ready and available to present at your next event:
- In Their Own Words: A History of the 1st SC Volunteers of African Descent
- South Carolina's Black Union Veterans & Your Community
- Recovering SC African American Community Histories through the Pension Records of US Colored Troop Veterans
- Her Mark: Women's Voices During Reconstruction
- Top 5 Reconstruction Era Records for Tracing Your SC Ancestors
Contact ISRE at isre@uscb.edu for program descriptions, availability, speaker fees, etc.
ISRE staff are also available to speak to your University classes, K-12 classes, at professional learning events for K-12 teachers and more.