Black Courage Upon the Sea: A Juneteenth Celebration of Robert Smalls

2022 New England Aquarium Lecture Series continues with a virtual conversation with Michael Boulware Moore and Admiral Cecil Haney USN (Ret.)

WHAT: The New England Aquarium 2022 Lecture Series continues with the incredible story of Robert Smalls, an intrepid Black man who took command of a Confederate ship called The Planter in Charleston, South Carolina, on May 13, 1862, and liberated himself and his family from enslavement. After the Civil War, he continued public service in a variety of roles, including five terms as a US Congressman. Living on Earth Host Steve Curwood will talk with Robert Smalls’ great-great-grandson Michael Boulware Moore and Admiral Cecil Haney USN (Ret.), one of only three Black four-star admirals in U.S. Navy history, about Black courage, liberation, and the bold pursuit of a better future.

This virtual, livestreamed event is presented by Living on Earth, the New England Aquarium, the Lowell Institute, and the UMass Boston School for the Environment.

WHEN: Monday, June 20 at 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Virtual via Zoom.

HOW: Register here for the free lecture.

WHO: Michael Boulware-Moore is the great-great grandson of Robert Smalls and a high-impact business leader, keynote speaker, board member, and author. He is an innovative thought leader on diversity and inclusion, African American history, social justice, and brand strategy.

Admiral Cecil Haney USN (Ret) is one of only three Black four-star admirals in U.S. Navy history. He served as Commander, United States Strategic Command (STRATCOM) from November 15, 2013, to November 3, 2016, leading all five military services as senior commander for missile defense, nuclear and space operations, among many responsibilities. Prior to STRATCOM, Adm. Haney served as Commander, United States Pacific Fleet, and was trained as an ocean engineer at the U.S. Naval Academy.

Steve Curwood is the executive producer and host of Living on Earth. Curwood created the first pilot of the show in 1990, and it has run continuously since April of 1991. Curwood has been a journalist for more than 30 years with experience at NPR, CBS News, The Boston Globe, WBUR-FM, and WGBH-TV. He shared the 1975 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service as part of The Boston Globe’s education team. Curwood is also the recipient of the 2003 Global Green Award for Media Design, the 2003 David A. Brower Award from the Sierra Club for excellence in environmental reporting, and the 1992 New England Environmental Leadership Award from Tufts University for his work on promoting environmental awareness. He is the president of the World Media Foundation, Inc., and a Lecturer in Environmental Science and Public Policy at Harvard University.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Pam Bechtold Snyder – psnyder@neaq.org, 617-686-5068