#BlackHistoryMonth
Cosponsored by the Schenectady County Human Rights Commission & the Schenectady County Historical Society.
For Africans and people of African descent enslaved in North America gaining freedom through self-emancipation came with a very high price: their lives. From the 17th through the 19th century, the specific challenges they faced escaping depended upon where in the country they were. By the late 18th century, with the ending of legal enslavement in Canada and many of the newly created northern states, more people stepped up to help. Black, White, and Native people were involved despite Federal laws making such help illegal. These networks became known as the Underground Railroad. The secret networks were designed to remain hidden, and New York State quickly became known as a gateway to liberation for freedom-seekers. The event will take a deeper dive into the struggles and victories of those who refused to comply with certain laws or systems that helped to perpetuate basic human rights!
FREE & OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC