This event is sponsored by the National Museum of African American History and Culture

The panelists will focus on the journey from slavery to freedom by examining the plethora of historical and milestone events that occurred between January 1, 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, and August 28, 1963 when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led the March on Washington. The purpose and intent of the Emancipation Proclamation will be addressed as a strategy to end slavery with the political momentum that would garner support for the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution, effectively ending slavery and empowering enslaved African American males with citizenship rights, and the right to the franchise.

Moderator: Mr. John Franklin, Director of Partnerships and International Programs

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Panelists: Mr. C.R. Gibbs, Public Historian, Scholar, Author

Dr. Clarence Lusane, Professor of Political Science, American University

Dr. Maurice Jackson, Professor of History, Georgetown University

Dr. Frank Smith, Director African American Civil War Memorial and Museum