The regimental flag of the 127th United States Colored Troops (USCT). Acquired by the Atlanta History Center in 2019, the flag is one of fewer than 25 known examples carried by African American regiments during the Civil War.

Caption

The regimental flag of the 127th United States Colored Troops (USCT). Acquired by the Atlanta History Center in 2019, the flag is one of fewer than 25 known examples carried by African American regiments during the Civil War. / Atlanta History Center

On this Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we bring you a special episode of Political Rewind.

Atlanta History Center curator Dr. Calinda Lee and Georgia State University professor of African American Studies Dr. Maurice Hobson joined our panel to discuss modern misconceptions of Reconstruction and the Jim Crow era. 

Much of our conversation revolved around a new exhibit at the The Atlanta History Center, "Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow," which runs until June 30 and features local artifacts and history from the decades following the Civil War.

Our panel looked back at an influential but misunderstood period of American history—Jim Crow and the civil rights struggles at the turn of the 20th century, where African Americans fought to maintain rights paid for in blood during the Civil War.

What lessons can be learned from this period of history? And how do these stories connect to our current political moment?

Panelists:

Dr. Maurice Hobson — Historian and Professor of African American Studies, Georgia State University

Dr. Calinda Lee — Vice President of Historical Interpretation and Community Partnerships, Atlanta History Center