This Thursday the Selma and Dallas County Public Library will host a presentation by Marti Rosner and Frye Gaillard, authors of “The Slave Who Went to Congress,” about Benjamin Turner.
Turner was born into slavery until after the American Civil War. He lived in Selma where he was eventually elected to tax collector of Dallas County and then to the city council in the late 1860’s.
He was nominated the Republican candidate for the first district in Alabama and was elected as a Republican for the 42nd Congress.
The presentation at the library will be held this Thursday, Feb. 20. Tickets are $10 and can be reserved by calling 334-874-1725. Lunch begins at 12 p.m., followed by the program at 12:30 p.m.
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