From Feb. 27 - May 4, the Lorenzo Cultural Center Spotlights the Blue versus the Gray from a Michigan - and Macomb County -- Perspective

While Lincoln, Davis, Grant and Lee are names most closely associated with the Civil War, more than 90,000 Michiganders served in the war, and the iron mines in the Upper Peninsula set production records to help fuel the industrial growth of the North. From Feb. 27 through May 4, the Lorenzo Cultural Center at Macomb Community College brings the Civil War home with Michigan's Fight for Freedom: The Civil War Era.

Through more than 70 experiences, nearly all of which are free, the Lorenzo Cultural Center provides the opportunity to explore the Civil War from many perspectives, from the experiences of local residents, such as Alonzo M. Keeler, the first president of Macomb County's Village of Richmond, who was captured at the Battle of Chickamauga and held by the Confederates as a prisoner of war, through the life and times of President Abraham Lincoln and his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln.

The program includes exhibits, video showings, activities, performances and presentations by historians, collectors, curators, college and university professors, archivists, distinguished scholars, period musicians, living history interpreters, authors, a local doctor and a Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist. A sampling includes:

• Re-enactors of notable Civil War figures, including General Custer (Feb. 9 and Mar. 1), Governor and Mrs. Austin Blair (Mar. 13 and Apr. 5), A Visit with the Lincolns (Apr. 4), Lincoln-Douglas Debates (Apr. 5), as well as the day-to-day life of Civil War soldiers by the 21st Michigan Volunteer Infantry, Company H (Mar. 29).
• Macomb County civil war history in Macomb County Civil War Connections (Mar. 6), Camp Stockton (Mount Clemens) (Apr. 9) and Alonzo M. Keeler: A "Guest" of the Confederacy (Apr. 24).
• Experiences and first-person stories of Michigan soldiers, including A Distant Thunder (Mar. 2), Hardtack & Coffee (Mar. 14 and 15), Northern Michigan Soldiers (Apr. 3), History of the Michigan 22nd Infantry and Civil War Diaries (Apr. 23).
• Focus on the underground railroad, including Michigan Women who Changed America (Mar. 5 and Mar. 8), Michigan's African-American Community during the Civil War (Mar. 7), The Spirit of Harriet Tubman (Mar. 9), Patrick & Me (Apr. 11) and Dr. Nathan Thomas (Apr. 17).
• Opportunity to participate in a traditional Civil War Contra Dance (Mar. 29) with the Ruffwater String Band, led by caller Glen Morningstar.
• Performance of period music, including the Civil War Musician (Apr. 12), 5th Michigan Regiment Band (Apr. 13), Camp Chase Fife and Drums (Apr. 19) and Dodworth Saxhorn Band (May 4).

Four exhibits open on Feb. 27 and run through May 4 -- Michigan's Fight for Freedom: The Civil War Era, highlighting local solider profiles and providing insight into recruiting, battlefield medicine, the home front and the underground railroad, of which Michigan was an important stop; Answering the Call: Captain John C. Hardy, a collection of Civil War-related memorabilia that belonged to Hardy, a member of the 2nd Michigan Infantry Regiment; Blue & Gray in Black & White: Michigan and the Civil War in Print, an annotated display of books, pamphlets and printed literature; and Currency in Conflict: Money of the Civil War explores the alternative currency used as gold and silver coins were increasingly hoarded as the war progressed. A fifth exhibit is available April 1 - 30, Frederick Douglass from Slavery to Freedom: The Journey to New York City, which traces Douglass' life under slavery and his daring journey to freedom.

Pre-registration is required for all events, excluding exhibits and video showings. School and group tours are also available. For a full schedule of events, more information or to register, visit www.lorenzoculturalcenter.com or call 586.445.7348.

The Lorenzo Cultural Center, Macomb County's place for discovery, is located on Macomb Community College's Center Campus, Hall and Garfield roads in Clinton Township. The cultural center is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 pm and on Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m., but will be closed Wed., March 19, through Sun., March 23.

Media Contact: Mary Smith

Phone: 586.445.7997

Email: smithm@macomb.edu