During a blustery and wet April night in 1853, 28 enslaved men, women, and children made a desperate flight to freedom from Boone County, Kentucky. Reportedly inspired by Uncle Tom’s Cabin and led by their leader Wash Parker, their harrowing journey took them nearly 280 miles from the Ohio River into Canada. Who were these brave freedom seekers and what is their story? Join us as we explore the escape of the Cincinnati 28.

About the speaker:
Bridget B. Striker, MLIS, is the Local History Coordinator at the Boone County Public Library where she has led the Local History Department since 2005. The department has recently expanded into the Boone County Borderlands Archive and History Center and has been affiliated with the National Park Service’s Network to Freedom since 2017. Ms. Striker is a 2021 recipient of Library Journal’s Movers and Shakers Award.

Public Health Requirements:

This will be a virtual program and livestreamed online to those who have reserved tickets. Online participants will be able to hear and participate in live Q&A after the lecture.

Lecture Series Sponsor:
Huseman Group’s Cincinnati headquarters have been based in Walnut Hills for more than 50 years, and the Group takes pride in the dynamic history of this diverse and vibrant neighborhood. The Group’s exponential growth in the early 2000s was largely due to a passion for and expertise in historic renovation—they value history and know that it is important to preserve the past in order to learn and grow into the future.