Three agencies are teaming up to celebrate “Our People” Month during the City of Murfreesboro’s bicentennial year with a special community-heritage lecture, “We Are as Grand as We Want to Be: African-American Mutual Aid Groups in Murfreesboro,” on Thursday, Feb. 16.

The free public lecture will begin at 7 p.m. at the Bradley Academy Museum and Cultural Center, located at 415 S. Academy St. in Murfreesboro two blocks north of Broad Street.

It’s sponsored by The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County and the Bradley Academy Museum and Cultural Center.

Leigh Ann Gardner, a Master of Arts student in MTSU’s public-history program, will discuss her research on the Benevolent Society and Cemetery, Working Peoples Labor and Aid Association, the Sons and Daughters of Cyrene and the United Sons of Relief. The groups helped African-American citizens forge bonds of community and were a vital part of Murfreesboro’s history.

The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County is a joint venture between the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area, Main Street: Murfreesboro/Rutherford County, the City of Murfreesboro and the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU. Additional support comes from Rutherford County government and State Farm Insurance.

For more information about the event, please call The Heritage Center at 615-217-8013 or Bradley Academy at 615-867-2633 or send an email to heritage@mtsu.edu. You may also visit the Heritage Center’s website at www.hcmrc.org or the Bradley Academy website at www.bradleymuseum.com.