Dear VA-Hist Members: I would like to invite you to the next in the Library of Virginia's noontime lectures. On Tuesday, December 7, 2004, author, researcher, and genealogist Mary Kegley, one of the foremost authorities on the history of Southwest Virginia, explores legal cases brought by women of color disputing their enslavement, including the remarkable case of Rachel Findlay, a women freed from Indian slavery in 1773. Sold illegally as an African American slave to John Draper on the frontier of Virginia, she finally received justice when a Powhatan County court declared her free in 1820. Ms. Kegley will sign copies of Free in Chains, a novel based on the life of Rachel Findlay, at the conclusion of her talk in the Library's lobby. The book will be available for sale before and after the presentation in the lobby. This talk is in conjunction with the Library's exhibition Working Out Her Destiny, which explores the history of Virginia women, especially the explosion of scholarship in this field over the last twenty years. The talk is also cosponsored by the Library's "Mining the Treasure House" series. Mary B. Kegley holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in History from the University of Radford, and received the Juris Doctor degree from the University of Richmond Law School. She is the author/compiler of 42 books and has written scores of columns for the Wytheville newspaper, the Southwest Virginia Enterprise, and more than seventy articles in various national and international historical publications. She has been a speaker at national and state genealogical conferences, and regularly gives programs to civic and family groups on a variety of topics. She is presently serving as president of the Wythe County Genealogical and Historical Association. The Library of Virginia is located at 800 East Broad Street in Richmond and limited parking is available under the building. You can access the full schedule of events sponsored by the Library by clicking on "News and Events" at: http://www.lva.lib.va.us. Gregg D. Kimball Director of Publications and Educational Services Library of Virginia 804/692-3722 [log in to unmask] Support the Library of Virginia <https://www.vipnet.org/lov/donation.cgi> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html