“Knowing that a person was a slave, does not tell everything about him or her. Slaveholders severely circumscribed the lives of enslaved people, but they never fully defined them. The slaves’ history was made not only by what was done to them, but also about what they did for themselves.”

IRA BERLIN, A history professor at the University of Maryland

“The contributions made by the Negro in labor and blood toward winning the Civil War, demonstrate completely and specifically his active role in securing his own personal freedom as well as helping to maintain the existence of the United States as a nation… It is a duty and a necessity to resurrect and treasure the precious heritage that the Negro people have bestowed upon America.”

From the book “To be Free,” by HERBERT APTHEKER

Storyteller/re-enactor Mary Fears holds dearly the sentiments expressed by Ira Berlin and Herbert Aptheker and is dedicated to telling the stories that comprise the contributions of “people of color” in the Civil War.

Fears, together with her two sons, John Anderson as Frederick Douglass and Joel Fears, as Col. James Henry Gooding will present a just such a program 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 56 N. Halifax Drive, Ormond Beach.

Fears, a local retired school media specialist, is known for her knowledge of African American involvement in the Civil War. She is a graduate of Bethune-Cookman University and Florida State University with bachelor degrees in business education and library science, respectfully. She has performed in numerous schools, colleges and universities, public libraries, museums and historic sites throughout Florida and within a few other states. Dressed in 1860’s attire, her performance stories are based upon research and authentic documents. She is the organizer and director of “The Voices of Pride Re-enactors,” who also perform in her programs.

The upcoming Saturday program is described as a patchwork of stories and images of “people of color” in the 19th Century. It includes excerpts from the life stories of Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman and lesser known historic figures, Elizabeth Keckley and Robert Smalls. A display of Civil War artifacts enhances the program. Stories give Information about plantation life: occupational skills, courtship and marriage practices, escape stories and musical talent.

This 90-minute program is described as a giant lesson in African-American History. The public is invited. Admission is free.