On Wednesday, May 13, the U.S. Capitol Historical Society presents a noontime lecture with Felicia Bell, Senior Advisor to the Director at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Join us for an online take on our ongoing lunchtime lectures. We’ll meet at noon EDT, spend about an hour together, have a presentation, and engage in Q&A. And this event is still free and open to all–please share this information widely!

Bell will speak about “Endurance, Capacity, and Destiny: African Americans and the U. S. Capitol”. Since enslaved craftsmen contributed to the construction of the U. S. Capitol, African Americans have played key roles in the history of one of the world’s most recognizable buildings. This presentation will examine the impact of African Americans on the history of the Capitol from the Reconstruction Era to present day.

Felicia Bell, PH.D., is the Senior Advisor to Dr. Anthea M. Hartig, the Elizabeth MacMillan Director at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. A public historian and museum field leader, Bell began her appointment on March 2 with responsibility for enacting the museum’s 2020 Strategic Plan. She will guide the museum’s senior leadership team in translating the 10-year strategic plan into an annual tactical plan designed to achieve the vision of becoming the most accessible, inclusive, relevant, and sustainable public history institution in the nation.