Park Ranger Speaker Series

The Interior Library is proud to present a series of programs on the background and history of sites of interest in the Washington, D.C. region and around the country, as well as subjects highlighting the history of the United States. The one hour programs, presented by National Park Service Rangers, are presented virtually via webinar.

To register for a future Park Ranger Speaker Series program, please use our Park Ranger Speaker Series registration form. If the registration form does not work at your location, you may use the Library's contact form. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Interior Library by e-mail at library@ios.doi.gov or by phone at (202) 208-5815.

Webinar recordings of recently completed Park Ranger Speaker Series programs are available upon request. Please contact the Interior Library by phone at (202) 208-5815, e-mail at library@ios.doi.gov or via the Library's comment form for more information.

Upcoming Programs

Fort Sumter: What Defines Us
Tuesday, May 21, 2024, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm ET

During the middle of the 19th century, as South Carolina blazed a path towards secession, construction on a new fort atop an artificial island in Charleston harbor proceeded. Confederate forces would fire on the U.S. garrison at the still unfinished Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, the first shots of the Civil War. However, aside from the facts and synopses that help us understand the beginning of the war, there is more to the story of Ft. Sumter. The behind-the-scenes accounts paint a broader picture as well as breathe life into the dry bones. Please join Park Ranger Christopher Reid as he shares the stories that give depth to Fort Sumter and the people that shaped its history.

Please note: This program is only being offered as a simultaneous online webinar. Please contact the Library to obtain webinar information for this program.
 

New Orleans African American Parading Traditions As Resistance
Tuesday, June 18, 2024, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm ET

New Orleans is known the world over for its Mardi Gras celebrations and as the birthplace of jazz. Yet the city is also home to a world of African American parading traditions including second lines, Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs, Black Masking Indians, Baby Dolls, and Skeletons. Since the end of Reconstruction, this street culture, grounded in family and neighborhood ties, and rooted in deep cultural practices, has been a means of self-expression and mutual aid – and of resistance to an oppressive white power structure. Please join New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park Ranger Karen Armagost as she shares the political and culture roots and current flowering of these unique New Orleans traditions.

Please note: This program is only being offered as a simultaneous online webinar. Please contact the Library to obtain webinar information for this program.

 

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