TAYLORSVILLE, N.C. — The Alexander County America 250 Committee will welcome retired Brigadier General J.R. Gorham for the third installment of its America 250 Lecture Series later this month.

The event is scheduled for Saturday, June 13, at 3 p.m. in Davis Hall at First Baptist Church in Taylorsville.

According to organizers, Gorham grew up in Falkland, North Carolina, as the son of a sharecropper and went on to become the first Black officer commissioned as a Brigadier General in the North Carolina National Guard.

Gorham is a graduate of East Carolina University and earned a Master of Science degree in Strategic Studies through the U.S. Army War College. He is also a graduate of the CAPSTONE executive education program at the National Defense University. He currently serves as Director of Special Projects with the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.

Organizers say Gorham will share lessons from his life and career, discussing perseverance, leadership, overcoming challenges, and achieving success. His presentation is titled “Sharecropper’s Wisdom.”

The event will also feature music from the Liberty Grove Missionary Baptist Church All-Male Choir, and refreshments will be served.

The Alexander County America 250 Committee includes Commissioner Larry Yoder, Helen Chestnut, Nancy Coley, Betty Long, Lisa Lowe, and Tamara Odom.

Following the lecture, the 4th Annual Juneteenth Celebration will take place at First Baptist Church beginning at 5 p.m. The celebration will feature performances by the Barnes Family, the Liberty Grove Baptist Church Praise Team, and other musicians. Food trucks, vendors, a DJ, and family-friendly activities are also planned.

The event is open to the public. For more information on upcoming America 250 events, visit the Alexander County America 250 calendar.