"Family Ties: Hidden-Black White Relations in Antebellum Alabama" by Sharony Green

The views and opinions expressed in this presentation do not necessarily reflect those of the Alabama Department of Archives and History.

Historians have only recently begun to closely examine the nature of interracial relationships in the antebellum era. Green’s presentation, based upon her recently-published book, explores themes of white men’s emotional and financial investment in enslaved people. Using a variety of primary sources, Green examines these relationships, including one from a Huntsville-area planter. By elevating the voices of the African American women and children involved in these relationships, Green’s work points to new insights about the era of slavery. A native of Miami, with roots in the Bahamas and the Deep South, Dr. Sharony Green is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Alabama. Her book, Remember Me to Miss Louisa: Hidden Black-White Intimacies in Antebellum America (Northern Illinois University Press, 2015) is the recipient of the 2016 Barbara "Penny" Kanner Prize awarded by the Western Association of Women Historians (WAWH). The prize recognizes excellence in use of archival documents. Food for Thought 2017 is made possible by the Friends of the Alabama Archives and a grant from the Alabama Humanities Foundation, a state program of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The public is invited to bring a brown bag lunch. Complimentary beverages are provided. Admission to Food for Thought is always FREE.

The Alabama Department of Archives and History is the state’s government records repository, special collections library
and research facility, and is home to the Museum of Alabama, the state history museum. It is located in downtown Montgomery, directly across the street from the State Capitol.

The Archives and Museum are open Monday through
Saturday, 8:30 to 4:30. To learn more, visit www.archives.alabama.gov or call (334) 242-4364.