5:00 p.m. – Reception (includes wine, beer, pastalaya, roasted veggies, and bread pudding)

6:00 p.m. – Program

7:00 p.m. – Special discount to that evening’s showing of Fly in BB’s Stage Door Canteen

Registrants can use promo code “FLY” when purchasing tickets to receive a special $20 ticket price.

A Conversation with the author Cameron McCoy, PhD, and John Curatola, PhD, of the Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy.

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Join us for a discussion between two Marines who hold PhDs in history as they discuss an unheralded group of pioneers—the first Black Marines of the US Marine Corps.

Based off of his research and findings for his upcoming book, Contested Valor: African American Marines in the Age of Power, Protest, and Tokenism, McCoy will provide insights into the lives and experiences of many of the first African American Marines during their military service in the American South and abroad from 1945 to 1975.

McCoy’s work is distinctive and groundbreaking as it examines the limitations of military integration and the critical failure of leadership on the part of many Washington and Marine officials in the post-World War II era, which led to distinct forms and practices of systemic racism.

This evening’s dialogue will cover rare aspects of military life during this period, how the treatment of servicemembers and veterans were connected to the emergent Black Power and Civil Rights movements and how it led to Marine Corps cultural diversity programs in the 21st century. McCoy and Curatola will also be able to provide unique perspectives as Marine officers on the legacy of the Men of Montford Point and how they have become part of the Esprit de Corps in the Marines.

Dr. Cameron McCoy is a native of Washington, D.C. and teaches courses in 20th and 21st century US history. Dr. McCoy has taught at the United States Military Academy at West Point, Brigham Young University, and currently in residence at the United States Air Force Academy. He earned his doctorate in US history at the University of Texas at Austin after receiving a master’s in military history at Texas A&M University, and his bachelor’s in International & Area Studies at BYU.

In addition to being an assistant professor and teaching courses on US Race Relations, the Great Wars, Modern Warfare Studies, and Foreign Policy, Dr. McCoy also serves in the Marine Corps Reserves as an infantry officer. He has held several positions of command while serving multiple combat tours and deployed to various countries in support of Operations IRAQI and ENDURING FREEDOM.