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Winter/Spring 2004

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Winter/Spring 2004 Network to Freedom In Pursuit of Freedom Run-away Negroes have resided in these places for twelve, twenty, or thirty years and upwards, subsisting them- selves in the swamp upon corn, hogs, and fowls, that they raised on some of the spots not perpetually under water, nor subject to be flooded, as forty-nine parts out of fifty of it are; and on such spots they have erected habitations, and cleared small fields around them; yet these have always been perfectly im- penetrable to any of the inhabitants of the country around, even to those near- est to and best acquainted with the swamps. 1784, John Ferdinand Smyth, A Tour of Whitfield Lovell, "Sanctuary: The Great Dismal Swamp," 2002, (Installation view) at the United States of America, the Center for Contemporary Art, Virginia Beach, Virginia. Photo: Glen McClure. In October 2002, the staff at the Great A few months later, the National Park and Recreation, and Elizabeth City State Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Ref- Service contacted the refuge to discuss University. The application was unani- uge (Virginia) learned of an art exhibit including the Great Dismal Swamp in mously approved by the Network to opening at the Virginia Contemporary the National Underground Railroad Net- Freedom coordinators. Arts Center entitled “Sanctuary: The work to Freedom. Working with Wanda Great Dismal Swamp.” The artist, McLean of Elizabeth City State Univer- To celebrate the recognition of the Whitfield Lovell, created the work sity (North Carolina) and NPS mentors, Great Dismal Swamp’s role in the quest which included recreating the Great 18th and 19th century documents were for freedom, the National Wildlife Ref- Dismal Swamp within two rooms of the researched and an application submitted uge, in partnership with their Friend’s Art Center and charcoal sketches of the to the Network to Freedom in July 2003. group, the Great Dismal Swamp Coali- African Americans who may have found By the time the application was submit- tion, the City of Chesapeake, Virginia, sanctuary there. Completing the work ted, the “owner group” for the nomina- the Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome was the sounds of timber cutting, muf- tion included the US Fish and Wildlife Center, and the Public Affairs Office of fled voices of workers, and baying Service, US Army Corps of Engineers, the US Army Corps of Engineers, hounds. North Carolina Department of Transpor- planned a ceremony and luncheon. On tation, North Carolina Division of Parks (Continued on page 2) Official newsletter of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, Issue #7 Winter/Spring 2004 In Pursuit of Freedom Friends’ Group (Continued from page 1) The sites recognized in the ceremony Dear Friends of the Underground February 13, 2004, over 270 people have traditionally worked together on Railroad, gathered at the Chesapeake Confer- various projects, particularly interpre- ence Center to participate in the cele- tive events. They will continue to do Please accept this invitation to bration. so, and have even discussed the possi- join the National Underground bility of installing similarly designed Railroad Friends’ Group for our The celebration was held included a interpretive panels at each location. first national meeting and con- luncheon and program. NPS pre- For the Great Dismal Swamp Wildlife gressional lobby day on April 28- sented “certificates of acceptance” to Refuge, the designation means a new 29, 2004 in Washington, DC. representatives of the five sites that interpretive message that provides an This effort is a direct result of an comprise the Great Dismal Swamp opportunity to entice people who may initial meeting organized in listing. Descendants of Moses Grandy, not have considered visiting the refuge Spring 2003 by Barbara Woods an enslaved laborer on the Dismal in the past. of St Louis, MI. I have been re- tained by the National Park Foun- dation to take Barbara’s work a step further and get the Friends’ Group off the ground. The purpose of this gathering is two-fold— to let our representa- tives know that we are still watching when it comes to the preservation of the National Un- derground Railroad Network to Freedom Program, and to finalize plans for the formation of a Friend’s Group. Many of you Descendants of Moses Grandy. Photo: Julie Rowand may ask, “why another Under- Swamp Canal, were honored with a ground Railroad group?” The an- plaque presented by Colonel Yvonne swer is that there is no national Prettyman-Beck, to commemorate the group that is working directly to role their ancestor played in building preserve this story as well as sup- the canal. Dan Sayers, a PhD student port the people on the ground in at the College of William and Mary communities around the country. gave the keynote talk on his archeo- As a result local programs and logical investigations of African sites continue to suffer. American habitation of the Swamp. Dignitaries offering remarks included Additionally, for the second time US Congressmen Walter Jones, Jr. in four years the National Parks (NC) and J. Randy Forbes, Mayor Conservation Association has William Ward, and Mr. Marvin listed the National Underground Moriarty, regional director of the Fish Railroad Network to Freedom and Wildlife Service. Program on it’s 10 Most Endan- gered List. This means that the National Park Service, which is (Continued on page 3) 2 Winter/Spring 2004 Friends’ Group Freedom in the Florida Territory (Continued from page 2) From January 29-31, 2004, approxi- the agency mandated to preserve mately 100 people gathered in at the America’s national heritage, is University of Miami, Coral Gables, to not receiving the necessary fund- participate in “Freedom in the Florida ing or support from Congress or Territory: American and Caribbean agency leadership to keep this Connections to the Underground Rail- program alive. The time is now road.” Presented by the Network to for us to act. We cannot continue Freedom Program the University of to let the Underground Railroad Miami Interdisciplinary Studies De- Dr. Jane Landers’ keynote ad- legacy die in the minds of those partment, the South Florida Caribbean dress. Photo: Barbara Tagger that are charged with providing Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit, the Black Archives Foundation, the ties, research techniques, visual arti- the resources necessary to pre- Florida Underground Railroad Project facts, and interpreting historic Florida. serve this story for current and and the National Underground Railroad In addition to presentations, the confer- future generations. Freedom Center, this conference was ence attendees were treated to several devoted to exploring the resistance to performances. The opening reception Therefore the National Under- enslavement through escape and flight included a compelling interpretive pro- ground Railroad Friend’s Group in Florida and the Caribbean. gram by Ralph Smith called “Abraham, invites you to join us for this Black Seminole”. During the lunch much needed event. The meeting The highlight of the conference was the break on Friday, diners watched Char- will be hosted by the National keynote address by Dr. Jane Landers of lotte Battin in her one woman play Parks Conservation Association Vanderbilt University, author of nu- “Freedom is My Home”. The confer- which is located at 1300 19th merous books including Black Society ence closed Saturday afternoon with an Street, NW. We cannot make this in Spanish Florida.. Session papers event at Lummus Park, which included happen without you. Please con- from leading researchers covered such a griot, book signing and Florida Me- tact me at 301-292-6677 or Email topics as resistance, Haiti, literary in- morial College Steel Band. fluences, Seminoles, maroon communi [email protected], if you are interested in participating or if you would like more informa- tion. Peace and blessings, Iantha Gantt-Wright The beginning of the “Beneath the Un- land as a slave state aided or hindered derground Project” was undertaken escape, is the story “Beneath the Under- largely thanks to a Network to Freedom ground: the Flight to Freedom” seeks to grant from the National Park Service reclaim. Working with primary materi- Contribute to the Newsletter (NPS). In May 2001, the Maryland als in the Archives, interns catalogued State Archives was designated a Net- and digitized census data on the African Help us to make the newsletter more informative and useful to the Under- work to Freedom Program Research American population—both slave and ground Railroad community. Please Facility status. free, court records, and newspaper ad- forward items of interest, articles, or vertisements. Phase one of the project topic suggestions for consideration to While freedom seekers were still in the focused on Baltimore, Frederick, and Diane Miller at NPS, 1709 Jackson South, they were only able to rely on Prince George’s counties. Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68102 or at limited support. They had to rely on [email protected]. Comments on the newsletter are also welcome. their own sources of aid and information For more information about the project to escape, with only the hope of further and he final report of the Network to Newsletter deadlines are January 15 and assistance once in the free states. This Freedom grant, visit http:// July 15 each year. story of slave flight, and how the geog- www.mdslavery.net/. raphy, laws, and communities of Mary- Winter/Spring 2004 3 Congratulations to the New Network Listings The National Park Service regional New York Virginia coordinator committee, at a public Jervis Langdon Home [site] Afro-American Historical Associa- meeting in Buffalo, New York, on tion of Fauquier County September 17, 2003, accepted the North Carolina [facility] following sites, programs, and facili- Roanoke Island Freedom Colony Great Dismal Swamp [site]** ties into the Network to Freedom. Memorial Garden [site] Loudoun County Courthouse [site] The Network now includes 149 list- Great Dismal Swamp [site]** Petersburg Courthouse [site] ings in 26 states and DC.
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