Lighting the Way: African American Lightkeepers in Civil War America
The National Lighthouse Museum (NLM) will be having an encore opening of its permanent exhibit of the first African American lightkeeper of the Cape Henry Lighthouse, Willis Augustus Hodges, and first African American life-saving station keeper Captain Richard Etheridge on Sunday, February 26th, 2023. The permanent exhibit was first revealed in conjunction with a Juneteenth celebration in 2022, and now NLM will hold an in-depth discussion and presentation on this instrumental part of American history. The focus of the discussion will be on the lives and legacy of Hodges and Captain Etheridge as they navigated a country amid the Civil War. These men were trailblazers in their fields and lit the way for the men and women who would come after them.
Stephanie Ceballos, Education Coordinator of NLM, will be leading the discussion which starts at 4:00pm after the 3:00pm exhibit opening. Ceballos received her Bachelors’ degree with Honors from The CUNY College of Staten Island where she studied History with a focus on the African diaspora. She is currently working towards a Master of Arts degree in History and Museum Studies.
Tickets are $10, $5 for members or to join online via Zoom, and can be purchased at www.lighthousemuseum.org/events. Tickets can also be purchased at the door. Refreshments will be provided during the exhibit opening. The National Lighthouse Museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday, 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and is located at 200 The Promenade at Lighthouse Point, Staten Island, NY 10301. You can contact the museum by email at info@lighthousemuseum.org or by phone: (718) 390-0040
Banner Image: Lighting The Way exhibition photos. Image Credit – National Lighthouse Museum
National Lighthouse Museum
The National Lighthouse Museum’s Board of Trustees, Advisors and FRIENDS are dedicated to the full development of the National Lighthouse Museum on the site of the US Light House Service General Depot on Staten Island from 1864 to 1939. Partnering with government agencies, non-profits, corporations, foundations, and other organizations, we will work to promote and support historical, educational, cultural, recreational, and other related activities at the site, while maintaining the navigational significance and maritime heritage of lighthouses throughout the world. The Mission is in consonance with the Purposes of the National Lighthouse Museum as they are documented in Article II of the museum by-laws: