The month of February is celebrated across the United States as Black History Month, a time to celebrate and recognize the achievements of African-Americans. On Saturday, February 11, 2012, Twin Lakes State Park will host a series of lectures by regional author and historian, Greg Eanes.

Camp Gallion CCC Camp was responsible for the construction of fire roads and other improvements in Gallion State Forest.

Mr. Eanes will lecture on the African-American Civilian Conservation Corps experience in Camp Gallion a CCC Camp in the Green Bay area.  They were responsible for the construction of fire roads and other improvements in Gallion State Forest to include the part that became Twin Lakes State Park.  He wrote a historical monograph entitled, “Memories of Virginia Civilian Conservation Corps Camps” (Crewe, VA: E&H Publishing, 1999) which included interviews with former CCC Camp members. Twin Lakes included Prince Edward State Park for Negroes, the only state park for the African-American community during segregation.

Greg Eanes will highlight interviews with former CCC Camp members during his lecture series.

He will also talk about the African-Americans who served as part of the Confederate military infrastructure with special emphasis on those who served at Sailor’s Creek and the black experience of the June 1864 Wilson-Kautz Raid through Southside Virginia.  Mr. Eanes has written three books on these various subjects, to include: “Virginia’s Black Confederates: Essays and Rosters of Civil War Virginia’s Black Confederates,”  “Destroy the Junction: The Wilson-Kautz Raid and the Battle for the Staunton River Bridge,” “The Battles of Sailor’s Creek: Black Day of the Army, April 6, 1865.”

A documentary produced by Stan Armstrong entitled “Black Confederates: The Forgotten Men in Gray” will also be shown.

Schedule of lectures:

9 a.m. Camp Gallion Lecture

10 a.m. Virginia's Black Confederates
11:30 a.m. Film-Black Confederates: The Forgotten Men in Gray

The lecture series repeats in the afternoon:
12:30 p.m. Camp Gallion Lecture
1:30 p.m. Virginia's Black Confederates
2:30 p.m. Film-Black Confederates: The Forgotten men in Gray

The lectures will be held at Cedar Crest Center located at the park on Saturday, February 11^th from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and is free. For more information, click here.

Twin Lakes State Park is located near Farmville, about an hour southwest of Richmond. To get there, take U.S. 360 West of Burkeville to Route 613. Then go east on Route 629.

Drive Time : Northern Virginia, three to four hours; Richmond, one to one and a half hours; Tidewater/ Norfolk/ Virginia Beach, two and a half to three hours; Roanoke, three hours.