Who Started All This?
This website grew out of a research project on the Underground Railroad in the Capital Region by Paul and Mary Liz Stewart. Their work uncovered the voices and stories of people written out of this history. Together, these voices provide a different accounting of Underground Railroad activism and change the American narrative. We invite you to join with us as we work together to bring forward a more equitable and comprehensive understanding of this first civil rights movement and its relationship with us today. Make a donation to the work of Underground Railroad Education Center, become a member, attend programs, participate on volunteer committees, and help to move this research and discovery forward!
Affiliations
Underground Railroad Education Center Interprets UGRR History and Its Relevance for Today Using the Following Principles:
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Document Based
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Reality vs myth
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Public vs Secret
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Movement, Not Safe Houses and Routes
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African American Leadership
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Civil Disobedience
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Language and Public Memory
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Relevance today
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Document Based – The Underground Railroad story can be told from period documents, many continuing to be uncovered, which bring forward the voices of participants written out of the standard retelling and which bring forward a different account of the Underground Railroad story
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Reality vs Myth – The real story is far more comprehensive and complex than the standard retelling suggests
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Public vs. Secret – There was a very public side to the Underground Railroad movement
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Movement, not Safe Houses and Routes – the Underground Railroad is best understood as a movement
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African American Leadership – African Americans held leadership positions in the Underground Railroad movement
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Civil Disobedience – The Underground Railroad was a movement of civil disobedience engaged in by those enslaved, those removing themselves from enslavement, and those offering assistance to freedom seekers
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Language and Public Memory – Language has power – – whose voice do we recognize in the language we use to speak about and remember this important aspect of the American narrative?
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Relevance for Today – Black abolitionists not only strategized on how to abolish the institution of slavery and how to meet the needs of freedom seekers, they also strategized on how to respond to issues of equity in housing, voting rights, healthcare, jobs, education, issues that continue to plague us today
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