National Archives event focuses on Reconstruction

Speakers and their topics: Angela Walton-Raji on “When Freedom Came: Finding Your Family’s Story,” Velma Maia Thomas on “Southern Claims: Give Me What is Mine,” Lisa Bratton on the 1871 trial of the owner of the Brattonsville plantation for the lynching of a former slave, Sharon McMeans-Lukin on “Reconstruction: An Overview,” Jackie Herring on “Big Bethel AME Church: From Slavery to the 21st Century,” and Joel Walker of the National Archives on Reconstruction documents held at the Archives.

To register, email ancestryatl@gmail.com. For more information about the society, check aahgsatl.org, and for the National Archives go to archives.gov/atlanta. For program information, contact Joel Walker at 770-968-2530.

Georgia Archives events

The Feb. 13 Georgia Archives Lunch and Learn lecture on the Tuskegee Airmen, 1930-1949, will be given by Daniel Haulman of the Air Force Historical Research Agency. It’s set for noon and is free; bring your own lunch.

The Georgia Archives in Morrow is launching a new quarterly Saturday lecture series, with the first set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 14. The topic will be the experience of African-Americans in the 20th century South.

Speakers will be Reggie Tiller from the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site; Holly Smith, archivist at Spelman College; Charles Ward, archivist of the Herndon Home; and Andrea Jackson, archivist for the Atlanta University Center. A children’s program also will be offered.

The event is free; bring your own lunch. Seating is limited, so to reserve a seat call 678-364-3710. For more information, check georgiaarchives.org.

Roswell events

Roswell is holding a monthlong Festival of Black History and Culture. Check roswellgov.com. The events will cover a wide range of subjects, including storytelling and passing down family traditions, genealogy and historical exhibits.