Brechner Lecture – Entangled Histories: Tracing the Nightingale Family and the Legacies of American Democracy
Sunday, February 8th, 2026, 2 – 3 p.m.
This talk traces the intertwined histories of the Nightingale family, from enslaved ancestors along the Georgia coast to later generations who navigated Jim Crow, migration, and the ongoing struggle for Black freedom. Drawing on archival records, oral histories, and site-based research, I explore how one family story opens onto larger questions about slavery, capitalism, and the meaning of belonging in the United States. The presentation reflects on what it means to research your own ancestors in the archives and how that work can deepen our understanding of democracy, citizenship, and historical repair today. Along the way, I consider how museums, libraries, and communities can support people who are doing similar work on their own family histories.
Bio
Brandon Nightingale is a historian, genealogist, and PhD student in History at Howard University, where he serves as Senior Project Manager for the Black Press Archives Digitization Project at the Moorland Spingarn Research Center. His research and public history practice focus on the Black press, archives, and the long afterlives of slavery in family stories and local communities. Brandon earned a BA in History and an MA in Public History from the University of Central Florida and an MS in Information Science from Florida State University, completing his studies in Florida as part of his training as a historian. He regularly speaks with museums, churches, and community groups about memory, media, and the work of repair.