By Anna Tsiaras
CCC Journalism Program
BLACKWOOD – “Lincoln: the Constitution and the Civil War” exhibit has made its way to Camden County College in a big way – with free sponsored events and loads of information about President Abraham Lincoln for students and the public to enjoy.
Rutgers professor, noted historian and author Dr. Louis P. Masur joined Camden County College to mark the 150-year anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation on Nov. 12. Masur made sure to make a connection with the audience, speaking to several members before the 7 p.m. start at Civic Hall on the Blackwood campus. Throughout his speech, Masur asked questions of the 50-plus individuals in attendance and gave out prizes to audience members. Masur’s speech ranged from Lincoln’s campaign, to his fight to free slaves with the Emancipation Proclamation, and then the end of his presidency.
Ending his speech with a quote from W.T DuBois which describes the passion Masur has for the history of Lincoln, “I love him, not because he was perfect, but because he was not and yet he tried. The world is full with illegitimate children, the world is full with folk whose taste was educated in the gutter, the world is full of people born hating and despising their fellows, to these I’d love to say, see this man (Masur pointed to a screen with a photograph of Lincoln), he was one of you, and yet he became Abraham Lincoln,” he concluded.
Other proceedings included “Lincoln Speaks: In His Own Words,” put together through the theater project by Camden County College’s Allison Green, followed by the talk “Lawnside Men Answer Civil War Call” by Linda Shockley of the Lawnside Historical Society, both held on Nov. 7.
The Lincoln exhibit is running from Oct. 28 to Dec. 13 as part of the American Library Association and the National Constitution Center, sponsored by The National Endowment for Humanities. Displays stand in the back potion of the first floor of the Blackwood campus library. Also, a free bus trip to the National Constitution Center is scheduled for Dec. 7, limit 40 participants.
Dr. Louis P. Masur begins his lecture in Civic Hall, speaking on “The Image of Lincoln,” Nov. 12. By Anna Tsiaras, CCC Journalism Program