James O. Horton Lectures on Abraham Lincoln, African American History

Last Thursday, on February 19^th James O. Horton gave a lecture in honor of Black History Month on Abraham Lincoln in African American History.

Horton presented to the audience how Abraham Lincoln was more than a president who freed the slaves. Lincoln was also seen in the eyes of many African Americans as “The Great Emancipator”. A survey of historians have declared Lincoln as the greatest President in American history. Further, Lincoln was also President during the darkest time in America’s timeline. The lecture also covered how several monuments were erected in Lincoln’s memory including of course the Lincoln Memorial which currently stands in Washington D.C., another statue is also in D.C. which features Lincoln standing over a slave. While it was popular, it was also controversial, but African Americans saw it as an honor to his memory. The remains of the lecture spoke about how Black History Month is about Abraham Lincoln just as much as it is about African American History.

Horton is the Benjamin Banneker professor of American Studies and History at George Washington University and historian emeritus at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History. During Clinton’s presidency, Clinton appointed him to the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission in 2000. Horton is also the author of several books on African American history in the United States including Hard Road to Freedom: The Story of African America and The making of America. He also did a several historical series on ABC, Discovery Channel, and The History Channel.

Reporting: Vincent Pastore

Photos: Ben Guralnik