In honor of Black History Month, the Weston Historical Society is hosting the virtual lecture, “African Americans and the Impact of the Great Migration in the North and South”, with guest presenter, Dr. Stacey Close Associate Provost/Vice President for Equity and Diversity at Eastern Connecticut State University. This lecture will explore and discuss reasons for the larger migration and also focus on the migration’s impact on Connecticut and the nation. The lecture will conclude with a Q & A session.

This lecture is part of the Society's Events that Shaped the 1920s Lecture Series. As a lead-in to the Weston Historical Society’s 1920s exhibit, which will open later this year, the society's virtual lecture series, Events that Shaped the 1920s, will explore significant historical moments that influenced and shaped the Roaring 20s.

The lecture is free, but registration is required. Help the Weston Historical Society, a non-profit organization, continue its community programming with a suggested donation of $5.00. Donate at www.westonhistoricalsociety.org

Once registered, the Zoom link will be at the bottom of your confirmation email and will also be emailed 24 hours before the event. Please check your spam folder if you don't see the email in your inbox.

If you have questions, please email the Weston Historical Society at info@westonhistoricalsociety.org The Weston Historical Society is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Learn more at: https://www.westonhistoricalsociety.org/ The Weston Historical Society would like to thank its annual sponsors: Fairfield County Bank and KMS Partners at Compass.

Dr. Stacey Close has worked in higher education for more than 20 years. He currently serves as the Associate Provost/Vice President for Equity and Diversity at Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic, CT. A professor of history, Close received his Ph.D. and M.A. from The Ohio State University and B.A. from Albany State College, a HBCU in Georgia. He has taught courses that focused on African American, American, African, and Southern history. In addition, he has made paper presentations at conferences such as the Southern Conference on African American Studies, Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History, and Professional and Organizational Development Network. Close has also served as chairperson for the Department of History, Political Science, Philosophy, and Geography, director of the Center for Educational Excellence, and NCAA, Faculty Athletic Representative. He has published with journals and presses such as the Journal of Negro History, CT Explored, and Guilford Press. In 2014 Close was a contributing editor and essayist for African Americans in Connecticut Explored, published by Wesleyan University Press. He frequently lectures and makes presentation on Black Hartford history. In 2011-2012 Close received the prestigious honor of being an American Council on Education Fellow. Some of his other honors include the NAACP’s 100 Most Influential Blacks in Connecticut for 2013 and 2015, Eastern Connecticut State University’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Distinguished Service Award, Student Club Advisor of the Year, and Eastern Connecticut State University s Faculty Teaching Award.