New Bern, N.C. - Local storytellers and actors Mitch Capel and Sonny Kelly will pay homage to the Civil War's African American soldiers with "The Color of Courage," a free program held at the North Carolina History Center Thursday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m.

An estimated 180,000 African Americans served in the Union Army during the Civil War. Using acting and multimedia presentations, Capel and Kelly will present a selection of stories that have been inspired by those soldiers.

Mitch Capel (also known as Gran'daddy Junebug) is an award winning storyteller, writer, actor and poet. Capel has performed both nationally and internationally at thousands of venues, including the Kennedy Center, the International Folk Festival, the Inauguration of President Barack Obama and, for the past 27 years, at the National Black Storytelling Festival.

Tryon Palace will celebrate Black History Month with two programs this month. In addition to "The Color of Courage," the monthly Lunch and Learn (link is external) lecture on Friday, Feb. 19, will cover slave narratives from the South.

The Tryon Palace African American Lecture Series offers a free, new program on the third Thursday of each month. All performances begin at 7 p.m. in Cullman Performance Hall and are free, thanks to a generous donation from the Harold H. Bate Foundation. Special hearing devices are available if needed (contact Tryon Palace 48 hours in advance of the performance to make arrangements).

For more information call 252-639-3500 or visit www.tryonpalace.org (link is external).