In our increasingly polarized society, the symbol of the 19th century Underground Railroad movement and its abolition activists challenge us to publicly reflect and act upon the legacy of the institution of slavery and the legacy of the Underground Railroad movement in our contemporary times. – P. Stewart

FreedomCon 2022: Toward Change – Toward Equality

A major THANK YOU goes out to all the SPONSORS of FreedomCon 2022 without whom we could not have had such a successful event. Please show them your support by patronizing their businesses and supporting their community service. Click FreedomCon 2022 Sponsors – THANK YOU!!! to see a list of Sponsors. 

Click FreedomCon Journal to open your online copy of the conference journal

April 1st, 2nd and 3rd, 2022

Focusing on the nation’s unprecedented, and long overdue, examination of systemic racism in America, UREC connects the historical Underground Railroad, the first civil rights movement in the United States with the current struggles to dismantle injustice, oppression, and the false idea of White as superior. Due to the heightened polarization in the USA, the urgent need to address these issues cannot be overstated.

  • Friday evening, April 1, join us for an in-person and virtual presentation by award-winning author, journalist, and scholar Pamela Newkirk. See our event posting for details.
  • Saturday, April 2 features a full day of workshops in-person and virtually across 6 thematic tracks.
  • And on Sunday, April 3, we invite everyone to an in-person Open House at The Stephen and Harriet Myers Myers Residence.

See Schedule

FreedomCon 2022 is sponsored in part by a Humanities New York SHARP Action Grant. Humanities New York encourages critical thinking and cultural understanding in the public arena. Visit humanitiesny.org to learn more.”

FreedomCon 2022 Schedule

FRIDAY

7:00pm–8:30pmOpening Address with Ms. Pamela Newkirk, journalist, author, multi-disciplinary scholar and Professor at The Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute of New York University

SATURDAY

9:00amRegistration Opens
9:30am–9:50amWelcome
10:00am–11:15amWorkshop 1
Noon–1:00pmLunch
1:30pm–2:45pmWorkshop 2
3:15pm–4:30pmWorkshop 3
4:45pm–5:00pmLitany of Remembrance

Six Workshop Tracks Include

Social Entrepreneurship: Impact as Agents of Change
Black, Hispanic and other entrepreneurs making change in the community toward equity and justice

The UGRR’s Untold Stories through Research and Historical Fiction
Exploring research and historical fiction as vehicles of change in the recounting of UGRR history

Racism, Democracy and the Rebirth of Freedom
Defending democracy as he frontline of freedom and antiracism

Antiracism Instruction in the Classroom
“Antiracism, as a transformative concept, points us toward liberating new way of thinking.” (IbramX. Kendi) How can this be achieved in today’s classrooms?

Environmental Racism – Where are we Going
How is racism built into structures in our society that include capital investments, infrastructure and development decisions, and (un)healthy environments, and what is being done to change these systems?

Teens – Agents of Change
What concerns confront teens, what challenges do they encounter, and how do they want to be agents of change?

A series of three related workshops will be held in each Track. Workshops will address historic and contemporary conditions, challenges faced, and how work in the respective field can be an agent of change. Attendees are encouraged to select an empowering Track and attend each of the three workshops in that Track.

SUNDAY

1:00pm–4:00pmOpen House at The Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence

About Us

As the first civil rights movement in the United States, the Underground Railroad movement provides a living model for continuing the road to freedom which it began—building community, partnering with others to educate, explore, and create as we travel the path of justice for all.

FreedomCon 2022: Toward Change – Toward Equality

We are motivated and strengthened by working with allies across the Color-line and with all oppressed people to dismantle injustice, and through

In the midst of contemporary evolving conflicts, we look to the roots and legacy of the Freedom Seekers and the Abolitionists of the Underground Railroad Movement for strategies, strength and courage to carry on the freedom struggle.