The Blacksburg Museum and Smithfield Plantation will kick off their 2009 Historic Lecture Series in celebration of Black History Month. The lecture will be held on Thursday, Feb. 19, at 7:30 p.m. in the Roger E. Hedgepeth Council Chambers of the Blacksburg Municipal Building located at 300 South Main Street.

Local resident and Blacksburg Museum Committee member Charles Johnson will speak about his recollections of the African American communities in and around Blacksburg. Johnson, a lifelong resident of Blacksburg, offers many thought-provoking insights into topics such as the integration of public schools and Virginia Tech.

The lecture is free and open to the public.  Refreshments will follow in the Municipal Building lobby.

The Historic Lecture Series is sponsored by the Blacksburg Museum and Historic Smithfield Plantation. For more information on this or other Museum programs, contact Terry Nicholson, Museum Administrator at 540.558.0746 or by e-mail at museum@blacksburg.gov.