UREC Black Lives Matter Statement

Underground Railroad Education Center stands in solidarity with the ongoing peaceful movement for social and racial justice. Our solidarity is implicit in our efforts to restore the home of a Black Underground Railroad Activist and to tell the story of Black Abolitionists who made up the local contingent of the Underground Railroad.

These activists not only assisted men and women escaping from human bondage, they convened, protested, organized and tirelessly advocated for African American civil rights in New York State before and after the American Civil War. The activism demonstrated by local Black leaders and professionals such as Stephen and Harriet Myers, Dr. Thomas Elkins, John Johnson and William H. Johnson was passed on to the following generations who continued to advocate for equity and justice in voting, housing, jobs, healthcare and education. 

At UREC we strive to shine light on this local activist history rooted in the anti-slavery and pre-Civil War era Civil Rights movements, and through this speak to contemporary racial and social justice issues. We stand in solidarity with those protesting the violence committed against Black and Brown Americans by police powers and other individual and systemic entities. 

We invite you to join us in working together to analyze, educate and take action against the 400 years of systemic racism and inequity in education, economic opportunity, health care, and public safety to ensure an equitable and just tomorrow.