Register for Friday’s African Diaspora webinar series: McMasters’ Will: The Scheme That Made Us Virtually Free by Calvin Dark

Geoff Rasmussen

05 May 2022

Calvin Dark presents the story of his Great-Great Grandfather, Aaron McMasters, born enslaved around 1814 in North Carolina. When he was 20 years old, he convinced his master and biological father, Simeon McMasters, to free him but North Carolina law wouldn’t allow it. This presentation will shed light on aspects of slavery (including manumission, emancipation, anti-slavery vs. abolitionist groups, Underground Railroad, Quakers, and Black Codes), Reconstruction, and African American history in North Carolina that are lesser-known and largely omitted from mainstream teaching and discourse about the period. The presentation will also provide tips and lessons learned for using genetic genealogy to uncover and discover valuable family history.

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About the presenter

Calvin Dark is a writer and historian who regularly gives presentations and leads discussion groups on genealogy, African American folklore, and history. He is the author of the forthcoming book, McMasters’ Will: The Scheme that Almost Freed Us, detailing the life and freedom fight of his enslaved Great-Great Grandfather Amos McMasters. Calvin is a proud native of Siler City, North Carolina, a graduate of Duke University, and a former Fulbright Scholar to Morocco. He currently resides in Washington, DC where he is principal and co-founder of RC Communications, a public relations and marketing firm.

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Webinar time

The webinar will be live on Friday, May 6, 2022 at:

2pm Eastern (U.S.)
1pm Central
12pm Mountain
11am Pacific

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