On Saturday, July 9 at 1:00 p.m. the Freedom Center, in partnership with Bridges for a Just Community and the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati, is hosting a free screening of Prince Among Slaves.  The documentary explores the incredible true story of African Prince, Abdul Rahman Sori.  

Abdul Rahman Sori, heir to the throne of one of the largest kingdoms in Africa, was captured in an ambush and sold to English slave traders for a few muskets and some rum at the age of 26. After enduring the brutal Middle Passage to America, packed below decks and in filthy conditions, he was purchased by a struggling Mississippi farmer named Thomas Foster.

His story of courage and forbearance under the meanest of circumstances is a powerful drama that not only speaks directly to the African American experience, but also to the human experience. It expands our idea about what it means to be human, what we’re capable of surviving, and how our dignity can remain intact, even when under relentless assault.

Watch the trailer below:

Ilyasah Shabazz

Following the film screening, a panel discussion and Q&A will take place featuring special guest Ilyasah Shabazz. Ms. Shabazz is an author, activist, and daughter of Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz. Her coming-of age Random House publication, Growing Up X, has won critical acclaim—including nomination for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Non-Fiction Literary Work, a United Press International book of the week, and a BET.com best book list. Ms. Shabazz is also a Project Advisor for the PBS award-winning Prince Among Slaves documentary. Ms. Shabazz will be joined by Dr. Nikki Taylor, Assistant Professor of History at the University of Cincinnati.

This program is free and open to the public.  To RSVP please call 513.333.7710.

JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION HIGHLIGHTS
Saturday, June 18, 11:00am – 5:00pm
The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

Juneteenth Celebration 2011 will begin at 12 noon with an opening address from Gregory Hammons.  Gregory is a 2011 graduate of Princeton High School who will be attending The Ohio State University in the fall.  He his an outstanding student who earned a 4.4 GPA and class rank of 7th out of 367 students.  Gregory is a young dynamic speaker who represents the best of his generation.

The opening address will be followed by “A Colored Soldier Story“; a re-enactment of a soldier from the 100th USCT.  The historical accounts are portrayed in a powerful first-person narrative.

The Griot Drum Ensemble will provide a high-energy African influenced drumming, dance, and storytelling experience from 1PM  to 2PM in the Grand Hall.

“Freedom Ink“, an interactive exhibit about the power of the printing press, and the Civil War Encampment will be available to visitors throughout the day.

As a part of the Juneteenth Celebration, at 3:15PM in the Harriet Tubman Theatre there will be “One Freedom, One Mic“, a spoken word showcase featuring several of the hottest spoken word artists in the region conveying the growing perseverance while poetically encouraging the legacy of resistance.

June 18, 2011 at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center will be a day to learn, reflect, and celebrate… an experience you don’t want to miss!

There is a spark within each of us. Fan the Flame!

Christopher Miller
Historical Interpreter

The Freedom Center presents three age-specific scavenger hunts. Each hunt is designed to provide summer camp groups with a hands-on opportunity to: experience the life of individuals enslaved in the 19th century and tell the stories of the struggles for freedom, both past and present.

Journey Scavenger Hunt: Ages 3-7/Grades Pre K-2

Journey to Freedom escape with Caleb, RagGonNon art activity, 19th century games, create your own star gazer, Suite For Freedom and story telling

Underground Railroad Scavenger Hunt: Ages 8-10/Grades 3-4

Underground Railroad escape with Caleb, Brothers of the Borderland or Suite for Freedom, 19th Century games, Slave pen assembling, and story telling

Internal Slave Trade Scavenger Hunt: Ages 11-13/Grades 5-6

Escape with Caleb, Brothers of Borderland, 19th Century games, Slave pen assembling, Mural creation, and story telling

One Day, 90-Minute Camp Sessions

• Dates: June 28 – August 5 (Tuesday – Friday)
• Times: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. or 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
• Children – $6.00, Chaperones – Free!* (*1 Chaperone per 10 children)
• Each additional adult is $9.50

Contact the reservations office to book your group today: 513.333.7737

For more information contact Kieli Ferguson at 513.333.7570 or kferguson@nurfc.org

Download the Updated_Summer Camp Flyer 2011.

There is a spark within each of us, Fan the Flame!

The Deborah Willis event, which was originally scheduled for June 18 at 2:00 p.m. is CANCELED.

For more information, contact Jackie Wallace at jwallace@nurfc.org

American slavery is one of the vilest institutions in history.  It was a dehumanizing system that destroyed many lives and it is our responsibility to learn as much as we can about it so we can understand how we got where we are today.  Therefore, we are also inherently responsible in celebrating the end of American slavery.

Juneteenth, or June 19th, 1865, is considered the date when the last enslaved people in America were freed.  Many of those who where enslaved celebrated on the day they obtained their freedom.  They sang, danced, and clapped their hands.  The pulled the tables and chairs into the yard and had a feast.  It was a day of jubilee for those who were once enslaved.

Juneteenth not only symbolizes the end of American slavery, but the beginning of a better future.  Juneteenth has come to symbolize for many African-Americans what the fourth of July symbolizes for all Americans; Freedom.  It serves as a historical milestone reminding Americans of the triumph of the human spirit over the institution of slavery. Juneteenth honors those ancestors who endured the hopeless grief and crimes involved with slavery, as well as demonstrating pride in the great legacy of courage, resistance, and perseverance of those who helped to abolish American slavery.

So join us in the celebration at the Freedom Center on June 18, 2011.

Christopher Miller
Historical Interpreter

Juneteenth 2011 Flyer available for download now!

Music can tell a story, assuage our sorrows, provide blessing and redemption, and express a soul’s sublime and powerful beauty. It inspires us daily, giving voice to the human spirit. In honor of Black Music Month and Juneteenth, the Freedom Center presents an unforgettable evening of music featuring the soulful sounds of jazz, spoken word, and contemporary R&B.

The event, Jazz on the Banks, features a unique performance by The Professional Band and takes place on Friday, June 17 between 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. at the North Star Café. Admission is free and open to the public. A cash bar will be available.

About Black Music Month
(From the White House)

Throughout our history, African-American music has conveyed the hopes and hardships of a people who have struggled, persevered and overcome.  Through centuries of injustice, music comforted slaves, fueled a cultural renaissance, and sustained a movement for equality.  Today, from the shores of Africa and the islands of the Caribbean to the jazz clubs of New Orleans and the music halls of Detroit, African-American music reflects the rich sounds of many experiences, cultures, and locales.

African-American musicians have created and expanded a variety of musical genres, synthesizing diverse artistic traditions into a distinctive soundscape.  The soulful strains of gospel, the harmonic and improvisational innovations of jazz, the simple truth of the blues, the rhythms of rock and roll, and the urban themes of hip-hop all blend into a refrain of song and narrative that traces our Nation’s history.

Jazz on the Banks 2011 Flyer available for download!

There is a spark within each of us, Fan the Flame.

In 1788 a slave-ship set sail from West Africa, its berth laden with a profitable but fragile cargo: hundreds of men, women and children bound in chains and headed for American shores. Eight months later the survivors were sold in Natchez, Mississippi. Among them was the 26-year-old Abdul Rahman Sori, heir to the throne of one of the largest kingdoms in Africa. Captured in an ambush, he was sold to English slavers for a few muskets and some rum. After enduring the brutal Middle Passage to America, packed below decks and in filthy conditions, he was purchased by a struggling Mississippi farmer named Thomas Foster.

His story of courage and forbearance under the meanest of circumstances is a powerful drama that not only speaks directly to the African American experience, but also to the human experience. It expands our idea about what it means to be human, what we’re capable of surviving, and how our dignity can remain intact, even when under relentless assault. And because his story takes place beginning around 1776, it also illuminates the foundational period in American history as viewed from a perspective that is generally ignored when thinking about the establishment of the country: that of the African people enslaved in the early years of nationhood.

Prince Among Slaves explores the incredible true story of African Prince, Abdul Rahman Sori. This unique film screening takes place on Saturday, July 9 at 1:00 p.m. at the Harriet Tubman Theater. The program is free and open to the public. To RSVP, call 513-333-7710.

Following the film screening, a panel discussion and Q&A will take place featuring special guest, Ilyasah Shabazz.  Ms. Shabazz is an author, activist and daughter of Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz. Her coming-of-age Random House publication, Growing Up X, has won critical acclaim-including nomination for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Non-Fiction Literary Work, a United Press International Book of the Week, and a BET.com best book list. Ms. Shabazz is also a Project Advisor for the PBS award-winning Prince Among Slaves documentary. Ms. Shabazz will be joined by Dr. Nikki Taylor, Assistant Professor of History at the University of Cincinnati.

On June 18, 2011, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center presents Juneteenth Celebration. The event features an array of exciting events ranging from African drumming and dancing to story-telling and dramatic readings. This event is free with the price of admission.

The Juneteenth celebration at the Freedom Center takes place on Saturday, June 18, 11:00am – 5:00pm, and it will feature the following events and programs:

Civil War Encampment

12:00 – Opening Address: “What is Juneteenth and Why is it Celebrated?”

12:30pm – A Colored Soldier Story: Living History Re-enactment

1:00pm – Griot Drum Ensemble
A high-energy African influenced drumming, dance and storytelling at its best. Hear African folktales accompanied by mellow traditional instruments.

2:30pm – Freedom Ink
The printing press played an important role in the abolition of slavery. Hear stories about the power of the printing press and how it helped bring slavery to an end.

3:15pm – One Freedom One Mic
This event is a spoken word session about the legacy of enslavement, freedom and resistance.

What is Junteenth?
Juneteenth, or June 19th, 1865, is considered the date when the last slaves in America were freed. Although the rumors of freedom were widespread before this, actual emancipation did not come until General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas and issued General Order No. 3, on June 19th, almost two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

Why is Juneteenth Celebrated?
It symbolizes the end of bodily slavery. Juneteenth has come to symbolize for many African-Americans what the fourth of July symbolizes for all Americans; Freedom. It serves as a historical milestone reminding Americans of the triumph of the human spirit over the cruelty of slavery. It honors those African-American ancestors who survived the inhumane institution of bondage, as well as demonstrating pride in the marvelous legacy of resistance and perseverance they left for all of us.

There is a spark within each of us. Fan the Flame!

“Eye-opening…a complex and nuanced portrait of a complex and nuanced individual.”
Chicago Reader

Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin illuminates the life and work of Bayard Rustin, a visionary activist and strategist who has been called “the unknown hero” of the civil rights movement. A tireless crusader for justice, a disciple of Ghandi, a mentor to Martin Luther King Jr., and the architect of the legendary 1963 March on Washington, Rustin dared to live as an openly gay man during the fiercely homophobic 1940s, 1950s, 1960s. Brother Outsider in conjunction with Let Your Motto Be Resistance Exhibition: African American Portraits, proves myths and stereotypes wrong while showing how to rally communities around the nation to fight against racism, hatred, and inequality.

The recipient of more than 25 awards and honors, Brother Outsider has been described as “a mesmerizing eye-opener [that] inspires audiences to carry on Rustin’s worldwide crusade against injustice, discrimination and poverty” (San Francisco Film Society, 2010). The film has been shown at The United Nations, The Kennedy Center, and for members of Congress, as well as at hundreds of schools, community forums, labor gatherings, faith organizations, and film festivals.

Viewing of this film is Saturday, May 21 at 1:00 p.m. in the Harriet Tubman Theater. Immediately following the viewing, we will host a very brief question/answer period.

This program is free and open to the public. Seating is limited.
To ensure your space, please RSVP to 513-333-7705 or kferguson@nurfc.org.

Join us for a preview of the film “Freedom Riders” by Stanley Nelson on Tuesday, May 10th at 6:30 p.m.

In 1961, segregation seemed to have an overwhelming grip on American society. Many states violently enforced the policy, while the federal government, under the Kennedy administration, remained indifferent, preoccupied with matters abroad. That is, until an integrated band of college students – many of whom were the first in their families to attend a university – decided, en masse, to risk everything and buy a ticket on a Greyhound bus bound for the Deep South. They called themselves the Freedom Riders, and they managed to bring the president and the entire American public face to face with the challenge of correcting civil-rights inequities that plagued the nation.

Veteran filmmaker Stanley Nelson’s inspirational documentary is the first feature-length film about this courageous band of civil-rights activists. Gaining impressive access to influential figures on both sides of the issue, Nelson chronicles a chapter of American history that stands as an astonishing testament to the accomplishment of youth and what can result from the incredible combination of personal conviction and the courage to organize against all odds.

After the film, there will be a Q&A session with Freedom Rider Dr. David Fankhauser, professor at the University of Cincinnati. To learn more about Dr. Fankhauser’s experiences as a Freedom Rider, click here.

For more information on this event and to RSVP, please contact Don Hancock at 513-381-4033 ext 317.

On Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 7:00pm, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center presents a special chamber music performance, “Different Trains:  Stories from the Holocaust Told Through Music.” The evening features the Frequency String Quartet who will perform Different Trains, a Grammy Award-winning, powerful work for amplified string quartet and tape by composer Steve Reich. Works by Shostakovich and Ullmann will also be performed.

In celebration of Jewish-American Heritage Month, the Quartet presents a thrilling evening that encapsulates musical stories of hardship, courage and freedom. Centered on Reich’s electrifying work, Different Trains, the performance culminates in an uplifting depiction of triumph over indescribable cruelty. In the early 1940s, the young Reich traveled across the United States on the railroad with his governess to visit his recently separated parents. He remembered these trips as romantic, but realized later in life that he would have been on very different trains had he been born in Europe at the same time. The piece reflects the whole situation. Reich combined interviews with his governess, a railroad Pullman porter, three Holocaust survivors, and recordings of train whistles and air raid sirens from the 1930s and 1940s with a string quartet. The interviews were turned into sound bites that were processed through a keyboard to give them musical pitches. The strings imitate the speech patterns of the interview subjects and help tell the story of how three Holocaust survivors made their way to America after the war ended. Reich said of the piece, “Documentary reality and musical reality become one and the same. I don’t have to try to express the angst of the Holocaust, which is impossible to do. I can simply have people talk about their own lives.”

The performance takes place at the Harriet Tubman Theater. Admission is free and open to the public. Seating is limited; to ensure your space, RSVP at 513-333-7710 or rsvp@nurfc.org.

About the Frequency String Quartet
The Frequency String Quartet is a chamber music group dedicated to innovative, educational, and engaging performances of the highest caliber. With a commitment to contemporary music, the group seeks to bring awareness, inspiration, and enjoyment to modern music through concerts that contribute to the community and connect with diverse audiences. Formed in 2010 out of a mutual dedication to the promotion of new music, the Frequency String Quartet emerges as a captivating new ensemble. Violinists Michael Jorgensen and Joshua Ulrich, violist Dominic DeStefano, and cellist Amy Gillingham have distinguished performance credits with prominent ensembles, performers, and composers, and they hold degrees from some of the world’s finest institutions, including the University of Cincinnati College‐Conservatory of Music, Eastman School of Music, Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, and North Carolina School of the Arts.

UPDATE: This event is sold out.

On Thursday, May 12, renowned educators and authors, Erin Gruwell and the Freedom Writers, will be speaking to interested students, educators, and schools across Cincinnati during the day, with a culminating event at the Freedom Center that night. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights movement and the Freedom Rides of the 1960′s, students, educators and community partners throughout Cincinnati have been working together to support the Teaching Hope social justice project. The project will create new space for students and teachers to engage in social justice inquiry, service, and leadership projects related to the region’s rich diversity and cultural resources. Throughout the day at various venues across town, Erin and the Freedom Writers will be sharing their stories and ideas for what schools and communities can do to be more inclusive and socially just.

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