Feb 15 Lincoln & the House Divided NEW(SUNDAY, 3 pm)The Lunch With Books Lincoln Series continues with Matthew Pinsker, professor of history at Dickinson College, who will present the lecture: "Lincoln and the House Divided Era" at 1:30 pm at WV Ind. Hall. The topic: how Lincoln proposed to unite a country split by slavery through the election process. A discussion at the library will follow at 3 pm. Pinsker, author of Lincoln’s Sanctuary, teaches U.S. political, legal & diplomatic history. His research focuses on Lincoln, U.S. constitutionalism, the Underground Railroad & U.S. elections.
Feb 17 From Coal Fields to Oil Fields (Tuesday, Noon)
West Virginia Author to Appear at Two Local Libraries for Black History Month
Celebrate Black History Month with West Virginia author Sylvester Myers who will discuss his new book, From Coal Fields to Oil Fields & Beyond: A Life in Pursuit of All I Could Be at both the Ohio County and Moundsville-Marshall County Public Librarys on Tuesday, February 17th. Mr. Myers will appear at the Ohio County Public Library's Lunch With Books program at noon and at the Moundsville Library at 4:30 pm. Both programs are made possible by the West Virginia Library Commission.
While serving in the Korean War in 1951, West Virginian Sylvester Myers was hit by shrapnel and hospitalized for three months. In his book, From Coal Fields to Oil Fields & Beyond: A Life in Pursuit of
All I Could Be, Mr. Myers details his experiences as an African American soldier serving in“The Forgotten War” while the U.S. Army was finally being desegregated.In 1962, Mr. Myers was the first African-American to serve with the Kansas City District office of the Corps of Engineers, transferring in 1967 to the Huntington, WV District Office. He then spent eleven years with the Corps of Engineers in Saudi Arabia, supervising projects and becoming fluent in Arabic. All together, Mr. Myers has traveled to 60 nations.
In 1988 Myers and his second wife Janice founded S.C. Myers & Associates Inc., based in Washington, DC, providing construction and cost management services to Federal and private sector projects across the nation and around the world. SCMA , which has worked on projects in Bosnia, Cambodia, Bahrain and many other places.
A new documentary film about the life of Sylvester C. Myers is now available in DVD format. Produced by Southwest Virginia Community College, Richlands, VA, the film is a sequel to Mr. Myers’memoir. The film features interviews with Myers’ cousins, Hollywood Movie Producer/Director John Singleton and Film Production Manager Sheila Ward; Keystone, WV Mayor William “Buck” Wade;” Myers’ former Huntington, WV District US Army Corps of Engineers supervisor Ron Harris, and co-worker Ron Karres; childhood friend Ruby Robinson, who discuss special attributes about their relationship with Myers. The film projects Myers as a powerful role model when he takes center stage in the film, and attempts to motivate young and old. He acquaints the audience with a variety of events he experienced, and emphasizes that with hard work, sacrifice and determination, success can be achieved.
The following statement summarizes a teacher’s reactions to the film at a recent private screening in Morgantown, WV:
"Mr. Myers’ memoir is a compelling work…[He could] serve as a model of perseverance and hope for young West Virginians of all ages and cultures. To read his words that tell of his life’s journey and to hear him share his metaphor of building a bridge from where he came from to where he wanted to go in life, is inspiring for young people.” - Tracy L. Sell Chico, Suncrest Middle School, Morgantown, WV.
Feb 21 Lincoln & the Law of War (SATURDAY, Noon)
The Lunch With Books Lincoln Series continues with Burrus Carnahan, lecturer at the George Washington University Law School, who will discuss his book, Act of Justice, which deals with how President Lincoln used the laws of war to define his constitutional powers as commander in chief. Mr. Carnahan is a foreign affairs officer in the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation at the U.S. Department of State and a specialist in arms control and the law of war.
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