JOIN US AT AN EVENT
NAHOFM hosts various events throughout the year. We also promote events by others that are of interest and relate to the abolitionist movement.
UPCOMING EVENTS
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March - July, 2022: Central New York Abolition Study GroupWhere: Online
When: 3pm - 4.30pm; March 13, April 3, April 24, May 15, June 5, June 26, July 10 What does it mean to be an abolitionist in 2022? Advocates describe it as both a dismantling and world-building work to create communities that are just and safe, that are free of prisons and police. It's a vision that abolitionists say requires complete community transformation and, as Ruth Wilson Gilmore states, "building life-affirming institutions."
The Abolition Journal has created a seven-session study group guide for people who are new to abolition. Their group draws together people from across CNY and will meet every three weeks, following the Study Group Guide. Learn more and register now. |
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May 14, 2022: Madison County Anti-Racism CollaborativeWhere: Smithfield Community Center, 5525 Pleasant Valley Road, Peterboro 13134
***Please note that this event was originally scheduled for October 23, 2021, but has been postponed until 2022 due to COVID-19.***
Join NAHOF for a day of learning about racism and brainstorming how we as neighbors can work together to make Madison County a better place for all. Presentations on the day will include:
View the event poster. |
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October 2022: National Abolition Hall of Fame Induction WeekendWhere: National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum, 5525 Pleasant Valley Road, Peterboro 13134
***Please note that this event was originally scheduled for October 23-25, 2020, but has been postponed until 2022 due to COVID-19.***
Join NAHOF as we induct Robert Everett, Calvin Fairbank and Stephen Meyers into the the National Abolition Hall of Fame. We have an exciting programme lined up for the occasion:
Read information about the inductees and the induction event! |
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2023: Black Women's History***Please note that this event was originally scheduled for March 25-31, 2022, but has been postponed.***
Black Women's History is a series of bite-sized informational videos and longer presentations by scholars on historical figures and places that emphasize the crucial role that Black Women have played in American history. |
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TBD: Peterboro Freedom FestivalWhere: Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark, 5304 Oxbow Road, Peterboro, NY 13134
Tickets: $10 in advance; $15 at the gate. Children 12 & under free. ***Please note that this event was originally scheduled for June 13, 2020, but has been postponed due to COVID-19.***
Celebrate our rich history in the cause for equal rights. Food, museums, exhibits and more! Featuring the musical stylings of: Arthur Flowers, Vance Gilbert, Reggie Harris, Patty Larkin, and Karen Savoca & Pete Heitzman. Check out the event poster, like the Peterboro Freedom Festival Facebook page and be sure to check www.peterborony.org for updates and further information. |
PAST EVENTS
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April 1-3, 2022: FreedomCon: Toward Change - Toward EqualityWhere: Hudson Valley Community College (April 1-2) & The Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence (April 3)
Join NAHOF and other anti-racism advocates for a conference focussing on the nation's unprecedented, and long overdue, examination of systemic racism in America. The event will connect the historical Underground Railroad to ongoing legacies of emancipation.
View the event poster and register for the event. |
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March 5, 2022: Searching for TimbuctooWhere: Smithfield Community Centre, 5525 Pleasant Valley Road, Peterboro 13134
Join NAHOF and the Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark in celebrating the birthday of abolitionist Gerrit Smith. We'll hear from guest speaker Paul Miller, an independent writer, photographer, and filmmaker based in upstate New York. There will also be a viewing of Miller’s film Searching for Timbuctoo, which reveals the hidden history of history of Gerrit Smith’s 1846 “scheme of justice and benevolence” of giving 120,000 acres of land to 3000 Black Americans so that they would be eligible to vote in New York State. These land grants helped establish a pioneering Black settlement called Timbuctoo which is located near present day Lake Placid.
Read more about the event. |
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February 1 - 28, 2022: Black History MattersWhere: NAHOF's YouTube
Free to view! Black History Matters is an educational series that seeks to highlight historical events in the Black American experience. The videos provide critical context for the ongoing racial justice movements and the persistence of racism in America.
A new video will be released each day in February on NAHOF's YouTube channel and will be shared on NAHOF's Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. |
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September 25, 2021 - 2pm: Restart SCC 200 MoreWhere: NAHOF Facebook
Free! Join NAHOF and other local partners in restarting the SCC 200 campaign, which was postponed due to COVID. The campaign is a year-long commemoration of the 200 year-old Smithfield Community Center, and will be launched with a programme of lectures that delve into the history of the building:
Within These Walls: Milton C. Sernett PhD Evans Academy: Donna Dorrance Burdick Oral Histories of a 200 Year Old Community Building: Matthew Urtz Learn more about SCC 200 and view the event poster. |
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September 17, 2021: Constitution DayWhere: NAHOF Youtube
Free! In honour of Constitution Day, Thomas Hogle, Ph.D., professor of Social Science at SUNY Morrisville, will give a talk on the background of the US Constitution and the ratification of the 13th amendment.
Watch now! |
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August - September 2021: The Smith Family of Peterboro & the Crusade for Human RightsWhere: Smithfield Community Center, 5525 Pleasant Valley Road, Peterboro 13134
Free! Every Wednesday 4pm - 6pm, join Norman K. Dann PhD for a lecture series about abolition, the Underground Railroad and Women's Rights in Peterboro:
August 4: Peter Smith: Furs, Land and Anguish August 11: Era and the Issues August 18: Gerrit Smith - The Practical Dreamer August 25: Ann Carroll Fitzhugh Smith - Support Services Agent September 1: Elizabeth Smith Miller - Quiet Advocate September 8: Greene Smith - Rebel and Outdoorsman September 15: Cousins of Reform - Smith and Stanton September 22: Underground Railroad Read more about the lecture series! |
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August 29, 2021 - 2pm: Peterboro Connections in The Third Mrs. GalwayWhere: National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum, 5525 Pleasant Valley Road, Peterboro 13134
Author Deirdre Sinnott will present on her years of research that provide the accurate historical background for her first novel The Third Mrs. Galway. The novel brings to to life the surprising drama of freedom-seekers and slave-catchers in Oneida County. This book animates the history of the region and the larger Underground Railroad phenomenon in a way that street signs and public lectures cannot.
Read more about the event, and read a review of the book by a National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum Cabinet of Freedom Member. |
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August 16 - 26, 2021: Black History in Upstate New YorkWhere: NAHOFM's YouTube channel
Free to view! Black History in Upstate New York is a series of bite-sized informational videos and longer presentations by scholars on historical figures and places that emphasize the crucial role Black Americans have played in the history of Upstate New York.
A new video will be released each day on NAHOFM's YouTube channel. and will be shared on NAHOFM's Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about the program and see the complete list of themes covered by the videos. |
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August 21, 2021 - 2pm: A Remembrance of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Law Cazenovia ConventionWhere: Cummings Theatre, 18 Lincklaen Street, Cazenovia NY 13035
Free! Judge Hugh C. Humphreys, author of Agitate! Agitate! Agitate! The Great Fugitive Slave Law Convention and its Rare Daguerreotype, will return to Cazenovia to present on the 1850 Fugitive Slave Law Convention.
Read more about the event! |
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August 7, 2021: Peterboro Emancipation DayWhere: Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark, 5304 Oxbow Road, Peterboro, NY 13134
***Please note that this event was originally scheduled for August 1, 2020, but has been postponed until 2021 due to COVID-19.***
Join descendants of freedom seekers from slavery, the public, NAHOFM, and the Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark (GSENHL) in commemorating the emancipation of slavery in the 19th century. We've organised a programme of songs and talks: 10am: Assemble and proceed to cemetery for wreath-laying 1:30pm: Lecture - Susan Goodier, PhD, Black Suffragists 2:30pm: Lecture - Harry Bradshaw Matthews, Supporting Reparations through Black Genealogical Research 3:30pm: Guided tour of the Gerrit Smith Estate National History Landmark - Norman K. Dann, PhD Read more about the event! |
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April 5 - 25, 2021: 21 Day Racial Equity ChallengeWhere: online
Free to participate! Dr. Eddie Moore's 21 Day Racial Equity challenge invites you to do one action each day to further your understanding of power, privilege, supremacy, oppression, and equity. The challenge provides you with a range of different actions to choose from: reading, listening, watching, noticing, connecting, engaging, acting, reflecting and staying inspired. Join NAHOFM in doing the racial equity challenge and doing more to dismantle white supremacy.
Follow along with NAHOFM as we complete the 21 Day Racial Equity Challenge by following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Read more about the programme. |
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March 1 - 15, 2021: Jim Stewart's Historical Tonic for Fragile White FolksWhere: NAHOFM's YouTube channel
Free to view! Dr. James Brewer Stewart, professor emeritus at Macalester College MN, will present sixteen “mini lectures” about white supremacy in America after the civil war. Stewart will challenge the historical amnesia that exists about white supremacy, and intends to help people see this neglected history and to own that history.
A new video will be released each day on NAHOFM's YouTube channel. Learn more about the program. |
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February 1 - 28, 2021: Black History MattersWhere: NAHOFM's video library
Free to view! Black History Matters is a series of virtual introductory short “crash courses” addressing various aspects of Black American history and culture. The videos will provide critical context for the ongoing racial justice movements and the persistence of racism in America.
A new video will be released each day in February on NAHOFM's YouTube channel and will be shared on NAHOFM's Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about the program and see the complete list of themes covered by the videos. |
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August 26, 2020, 6:19pm: Ringing Bells for Equality DayWhere: Sites across Madison County!
As part of its 2020 activities to commemorate the Centennial of Women’s Suffrage, the Smithfield Community Association (SCA) in Peterboro NY will ring the bell in the tower of the Smithfield Community Center (SCC) nineteen times to celebrate the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution which stated that … the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged…on account of sex.
The Peterboro United Methodist Church bell, across the Pleasant Valley Road, will join the SCC bell ringing. The Peterboro organizations invite groups and individuals in the county to join the bell ringing! Read more about Equality Day and Peterboro's ties to suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton here. |
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July 19, 2020, 2-5pm: A Workshop on Racism with Patrick JohnsonWhere: Camp Fiver Pavilion, Poolville NY 13346
Tickets: $20 for adults; $5 children aged 10-18. Book here! This workshop aims to raise awareness about racism's impact in our lives. The workshop will explore what it means to be White, Black, Asian, and Latinx. Participants can share their experiences given their racial identities and all will consider what stands between us because of race. Join us for an authentic, enriching and insightful conversation about racism. You can read more about workshop faciliator Patrick Johnson here. For more information, please view the event poster here.
***COVID-19 precautions***: - This is an outdoor, in-person event. Strict physical distancing practices will be followed and masks are REQUIRED at all times. Hand sanitizer will be available. - The event venue, Camp Fiver pavilion, has seating under and around it. If you are able, please bring a blanket or beach chair in case extra seating is needed. If you have a shading device (umbrella, tent, etc.) you are also encouraged to bring your own. - The space is moderately accessible. To reach the pavilion, you must travel over grass. If you have mobility requests or concerns, please email event organizers Hamiltonaarc@gmail.com so they can accommodate you. Please note: While the workshop is open to anyone over the age of 10, conversations may address the violence of racism, so please use your own judgement in bringing your children. |
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March 10, 2020 - 10am: Annual Harriet Tubman Day of Commemoration Wreath Laying CeremonyWhere: Swing Low Harriet Tubman Memorial, 122nd Street/Harriet Tubman Square at Frederick Douglass Boulevard, Village of Harlem, New York
Harriet Tubman was conductor on the Underground Railroad, military leader during the Civil War, suffragist, political activist and descendant of the Ashanti folks in Ghana. Born in or about 1822 in Dorchester County, Maryland, Tubman was enslaved for nearly 30 years before escaping in 1849 to Philadelphia. She returned to the South over and over again, leading dozens of enslaved to freedom in the North over a 10-year period. For her efforts, she became known as “Moses” by African-American and white abolitionists.
For additional information, email tubman1913@yahoo.com |
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March 7, 2020 - 1pm: Commemoration of the Women's Suffrage CentennialWhere: Smithfield Community Center, 5255 Pleasant Valley Road, Peterboro, NY 13134
Join us in commemorating the Nineteenth Amendment (The right of citizens of the United State to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation). We've arranged an exciting programme of talks, demonstrations and walks:
Smithfield Women Reformers: Norman K. Dann, PhD Women's Suffrage in Madison County, New York: Matthew Urtz, Madison County Historian Women Voters in Madison County: David Holmes Teen Voter Registration: Laura Costello & Laura Martino (who will also provide registration forms!) How to Dress like a Suffragist: Jody Luce Women's Rights Walk of Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark, Norman K. Dann More information here! |
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February 3, 2020: 150th Anniversary of the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution; Black (Male) SuffragePeterboro Heritage NY sites announce Black History programs for 2020 on the 150th Anniversary of the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which was ratified February 3, 1870 stating The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. View the full programme here and check back on this page in the coming months for further details.
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January 20-30, 2020: The Sprit of Hope and Unity - An Events Program Celebrating Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.Where: Colgate University, various locations (see individual listings below)
Join NAHOFM in attending this events program, organised by Colgate University's ALANA Cultural Centre.
January 20, 12pm (Colgate Memorial Chapel): MLK Celebration Opening Ceremony January 24, 4pm: (refer here for location): MLK 2020 COVE Day of Service January 27, 11:30am-1pm (ALANA Multipurpose Room): Africana and Latin American Studies Brownbag: Challenges for People of Color in Order to Thrive in a PWI from the Lens of Academia January 28, 11:30am (Center for Women's Studies): Women's Studies Brownbag: BREATHE Anti-Racist Group Presentation January 28, 7pm (Brehmer Theater): Faith of Our Fathers - A Remix of the Famed Debate January 29, 12:15pm-1pm (ALANA Multipurpose Room): Thrive Lunch January 29, 5pm-6:30pm (ALANA Multipurpose Room): Unity Dinner January 30, 6pm photos & 7pm Q&A (Colgate Memorial Chapel): MLK 2020 Keynote Address: A Conversation with Opal Tometi. Read more about Opal and view the events programme promotional poster here. |
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December 31, 2019: Peterboro Watch NightWhere: National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum, 5525 Pleasant Valley Road, Peterboro 13134
Join us in commemorating Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, issued January 1, 1863. We have a program of activities planned:
11am: Tour of National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum; Navy service stories by Owen Corpin 12pm: Lunch 1pm: Announcements, songs, proceed to Watch Fire Admission is free! Learn more about Watch Night here. |
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November 21, 2019: A Celebration of Abolition in Central New YorkWhere: Hamilton, NY, various locations (see individual listings below)
Join us to celebrate the life of Harriet Tubman and the history of the abolitionist movement right here in Madison County. There's a full day of celebrations planned:
4pm: Storytime and Crafts for Kids (Hamilton Public Library, 13 Broad Street, Hamilton) 6:30pm: Presentation by Kate Clifford-Larson, PhD, author of Harriet Tubman (Colgate Bookstore, 3 Utica Street, Hamilton) 8pm: Screening of Harriet (Hamilton Movie Theater, 7 Lebanon Street, Hamilton). Ticket required for film - purchase here or at the door Learn more here and see the event poster here. |
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November 1 & 2, 2019: Women's Rights and Justice in New York State, Past and Present ConferenceWhere: Matilda Joslyn Gage Center & Holiday Inn (Syracuse)
Join NAHOFM in attending the Women's Rights and Justice in New York State, Past and Present Conference, hosted by the Women's Rights Alliance of New York State. This conference is the fourth installment of annual conferences held by the Women's Rights Alliance of New York State over the past four years in preparation for the centennial of women's suffrage in 2020. The purpose of the conferences is to promote history of women's rights in New York State, how that history has impacted women's rights throughout the United States, and how that history sets the stage for continuing the unfinished work of women's rights. More details to come - visit wyranys.org.
Registration and more information here! |
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August 21, 2019 - September 2, 2019: NYS FairWhere: Art and Home Centre, 581 State Fair Boulevard, Syracuse, NY, 13209
Come visit NAHOFM at the state fair! We will be hosting an exhibit and displays in the Art and Home Center hosted by the partners of the Underground Railroad Consortium of NYS. Each day at 2pm different partners will present programs - click here for more information. Book tickets to the state fair here. Check out some photos from our installation at the 2018 NYS Fair below!
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August 3 & 4, 2019: Tenth Annual Peterboro Emancipation DaysWhere: Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark, 5304 Oxbow Road, Peterboro 13134
National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum, 5255 Pleasant Valley Road, Peterboro 13134 Join descendants of freedom seekers from slavery, the public, NAHOFM, and the Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark (GSENHL) in commemorating the emancipation of slavery in the 19th century. Donation for admission. Click here for more information about the day.
AUGUST 3: 9:30am: Registration at GSENHL (5304 Oxbow Road, Peterboro 13134) 10am: Assembly, Photo and Processional to Cemetery to Lay Wreaths 1:15pm: Harriet Powel: Escapee from Slavery on the Underground Railroad, presented by JJ Citron & Norman K. Dann, PhD @ The Barn, GSENHL 2:15pm: Harriet Russell: Enslavement to Freedom, presented by Donna Burdick, Town of Smithfield Historian @ The Barn, GSENHL 3:15pm: Harriet Tubman: Relaxing in Peterboro, presented by Kate Larson, PhD @ The Barn, GSENHL AUGUST 4: 12:30pm: Convening at the Upper Lisle Cemetery for Emily Russell, daughter of Harriet Russell |
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July 13, 2019: Possessing Harriet Returns to StageWhere: Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark, 5304 Oxbow Road, Peterboro 13134
The riveting drama Possessing Harriet that debuted at Syracuse Stage in October 2018 (see event below) will be presented at the Franklin Stage Company in Franklin, NY. The Smithfield Community Association and Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark (GSENHL) have arranged a day of programming for the play.
11am: Guided tour of GSENHL, the original site where Harriet Powel and Elizabeth Cady met and the setting of the play 12:30pm: Coach will depart from Peterboro. During the journey, guests will see playwright Kyle Bass' A Playwrights Journey and learn background information about the characters of the play. 3:pm: Coach will arrives in Franklin for the matinee 7pm: Coach returns to Peterboro. For more information click here. |
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May 18, 2019: Ann Smith inducted into Hagerstown Memorial ParkWhere: Memorial Park, MD-65, Hagerstown 21740, MD
Ann Carroll Fitzhugh Smith of Peterboro NY will be inducted into the Circle of Achievement at Memorial Park in Hagerstown MD on Saturday, May 18. Ann Carroll Fitzhugh Smith provided consistent support for her family members in 19th Century human rights movements: working with her husband Gerritt Smith for the abolition for slavery, with daughter Elizabeth Smith Miller and granddaughter Anne Fitzhugh Miller for women's rights, and supported son Greene in environmental conservation efforts. The Smith family home, in Peterboro (the town where NAHOFM is located today) was an active Underground Railroad Site and haven for social reformers. Click here for more information about Ann and her induction. For more information about the Smith family, visit the Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark, located down the street from NAHOFM.
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October 20 - 21, 2018: Induction WeekendWhere: National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum, 5525 Pleasant Valley Road, Peterboro 13134
Join NAHOFM as we induct our 7th class of abolitionists into our National Abolition Hall of Fame. The abolitionists being honored at this year's induction are Frances E.W. Harper, Laura Smith Haviland, and Rev. Samuel J. May. The Inductee Committee recommended these three inductees to the NAHOF Cabinet of Freedom according to reviews of public nominations by scholars in the field. The public is invited to the afternoon Abolition Symposia, 19th c. Anti-Slavery Dinner, and the Induction Ceremonies. Registration is due by October 5 - click here to download a registration form.
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October 19, 2018: Morrisville State College Diversity ConferenceWhere: SUNY Morrisville, 80 Eaton St, Morrisville, NY 13408, USA
SUNY Morrisville, through its Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusivity, and in partnership with National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum as well as many others, will host Dr. Samuel Museus to lead us in conversations to develop campuses and communities where students, faculty, staff, and community members feel they have a sense of belonging and are represented throughout. Free admission. Find the schedule for the conference here.
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October 17, 2018 - November 4, 2018: Possessing HarrietWhere: Syracuse Stage, 820 E Genesee St, Syracuse 13210
Syracuse Stage is mounting a production of Possessing Harriet by award-winning playwright Kyle Bass. The play is based on the story of Harriet Powel: a young, mixed-race, enslaved woman. In Syracuse in 1839, Powell slipped away from her owner and eventually found refuge at the estate of abolitionist Gerrit Smith. As she waited to depart on the Underground Railroad, Powell conversed with Elizabeth Cady, outspoken advocate of women's rights and cousin of Gerrit Smith. Kyle Bass' Possessing Harriet imagines the conversation between these two women as they are both confronted with new ideas about race, womanhood, identity, and equality.
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August 22, 2018 - September 3, 2018: NYS FairWhere: New York State Fair, Art and Home Centre, 581 State Fair Boulevard, Syracuse, NY, 13209
Come visit NAHOFM at the state fair - we will have an exhibit on American Abolition! You can find us at the Art and Home Center in the Stickley Reception Room. The New York State Fair is an affordable, fun event that features food, exhibits, and entertainment.
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