World War II History & Reading Camp
January 10, 2024Spotlight On: Abraham Lincoln
January 23, 2024The John L. Ford, Sr. African American Heritage Celebration
February 29, 2024 – 7PM
Free Virtual Event
Free Virtual Event – Join us on Facebook or YouTube
WITH VALOR WE SERVED: A History of Sacrifice and Fighting for Freedom
Panel Discussion:
Moderator: Sonya D. Ford, Program Manager, Carnegie Mellon University, Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship
Panelist: Jaquay Edward Carter, Award Winning Historian & USMC Veteran
Panelist: Michael Kraus, Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum Curator
A closer look at the individual stories of African American military heroes across eras of U.S. conflict, including the American Revolution, War of 1812, the Civil War, the Indian Wars, Spanish-American War, the World Wars, Korean War, Vietnam, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Moderator: Sonya D. Ford, Program Manager, Carnegie Mellon University, Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship
Panelist: JaQuay Edward Carter
JaQuay Edward Carter, award-winning historian, and USMC Veteran is a Pittsburgh native who has been researching the region’s history for over a decade, with a primary focus on the Black Experience. Mr. Carter is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, where he majored in History Education. In January of 2018, JaQuay founded the Greater Hazelwood Historical Society of Pittsburgh, which is now internationally recognized. His acclaimed work has led to a vast array of professional opportunities in community development, historic preservation, consulting, neighborhood planning, media publication, outreach, and public speaking – including his 4th year as a panelist at the John L. Ford African American Heritage Celebration.
Panelist: Michael Kraus
A well-known Civil War historian, Kraus currently works as Curator/Historian for Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum. His accomplishments include several historical consultant credits for major films, writing and narrating the documentary series Civil War Minutes and Civil War Life as well as authoring articles and books regarding the conflict. Michael also is an accomplished sculptor with an impressive resume of historically themed works in bronze.
The John L. Ford, Sr., African American Heritage Celebration is a FREE annual event focusing on the sacrifices & contributions of African Americans during the American conflicts. Developed in 2011 by Mr. Ford, the event has become a valued aspect of the museum’s community outreach. In 2020, the African American Heritage Celebration was renamed in honor of the late John L. Ford, Sr., who served as Soldiers & Sailors Historian from 2007 through 2017.