Virtual Event | February 18, 2026 | 6:00 p.m. EST/ 5:00 p.m. CST/ 4:00 p.m. MST/ 3:00 p.m. PST
Annual Black History Month Program: State of African American Historical and Cultural Preservation
February 18 @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm CST
State of African American Historical and Cultural Preservation: Charting a Collective Defense
About the Speakers
Vivian Glover
Chair, South Carolina Heritage Commission
Vivian Glover is chair of the South Carolina Heritage Commission. She is also on the board of Preservation South Carolina and on the Advisory Board of the South Carolina Civil Rights Museum. Her interest in history included co-producing the film “Shared History,” which documented the experiences of descendants of slaves and slave owners as they explore their centuries-old connection at Woodlands Plantation in Bamberg County. She was a consultant on the documentary “The Marines of Montfort Point: America’s First Black Marines;” both aired on PBS stations with Shared History being shown throughout Europe.
Glover is the author of Men of Vision: Claflin College and Her Presidents, (1995), which chronicles the history of Claflin University from its founding in 1869 to the institution’s 125th anniversary in 1994 and A Tapestry of Their Times, a series chronicling the lives of senior women growing up Southern in the first half of the 20th century.
She is also the author of the novel, The First Fig Tree, (Methuen, UK and St. Martins’s Press, NY). Her articles have been published online at nbcnews.com, The News Journal, The Grio, The State, and The Times and Democrat newspapers.
In addition to her work as a journalist and writer, Glover worked for many years as a news producer for NBC News Network, covering breaking news stories and producing features for The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, and Dateline. Glover recently retired as Director of Community Arts & Development from the Orangeburg County Fine Arts Center. Prior to retirement, she served for several years, on its board. She also served on the boards of the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce and the Regional Medical Center Foundation—now part of MUSC Health.
Dr. Anne C. Bailey
Chair, New York State African American Commission
Anne C. Bailey is writer, historian, and professor of History at SUNY Binghamton (State University of New York). In her works of non- fiction, she combines elements of travel, adventure, history, and an understanding of contemporary issues with an accessible style. She is a US citizen who grew up in Jamaica, WI and in Brooklyn, New York.
Anne C. Bailey is also committed to non -profit organizations which are attempting to make a difference in underserved communities around the world. These include Green Team International through which she champions environmental, cultural and sustainable development causes including climate change in the United States, Africa and the Caribbean.
Bailey is committed to a concept of “living history” in which events of the past are connected to current and contemporary issues. She is also concerned with the reconciliation of communities after age old conflicts like slavery, war and genocide. Her non-fiction book, African Voices of the Atlantic Slave Trade: Beyond the Silence and the Shame (Beacon Press) and her current work, The Weeping Time: Memory and the Largest Slave Auction in American History, (just published, Cambridge University Press, 2017) reflect that commitment.
Bailey is also the founding Director of the Binghamton University/Harriet Tubman Center for the Study of Freedom and Equity.
Dr. Kali-Ahset Amen
Chair, Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture
Born and raised in Washington, DC, Dr. Kali-Ahset Amen is a sociologist who has lived and worked in Southern Africa, Central America, and the U.S. South, engaging in poverty alleviation efforts. She represents the fourth generation of Southern Black woman educators in her family and is the mother of two energetic teenagers.
Kali-Ahset is Chairperson of the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture, where she advocates for the preservation, conservation, and funding of Black cultural resources across the state. She also has served as the executive director of the Center for Journalism & Democracy, an organization that promotes public interest journalism and racial justice reporting.