Guilford 250: African Americans and Reconstruction

For many Blacks in Guilford County, the years just after the Civil War raised hopes that equity and enfranchisement would be written into law as a way for a new Southern society to move forward. African Americans established educational institutions, organized churches, and invested in the business in ways unimaginable before Emancipation. Historian James Shields will review this era in American history, and explore how African American citizens of Guilford County leveraged their rights as citizens for self-determination and increased wealth in this fleeting period that promised social equity.