“African-Americans in the Civil War” is this year’s national theme for Black History Month, and the Vicksburg National Military Park, dedicated to the preservation of one of the war’s most crucial battlefields, has a number of features planned beginning this weekend.

Saturday and Sunday, informal talks will be given under the canopy at the USS Cairo Museum.

Topics will range from issues surrounding slavery as the nation headed into war to black troops among the Union soldiers and from the relief efforts of freed slaves to post-war race issues as the nation began to rebuild.

The role of African-American sailors in the Civil War also will be detailed. Some historians believe that at least four black sailors were on the Cairo at the time of its fateful trip up the Yazoo River in 1862, when it was sunk by Confederate torpedoes.

In addition, the park’s modern-day role as a site for fitness enthusiasts will also be spotlighted.