Book Reading: Real Djangos, Breaking The Chains, Author Wm. Katz

12/30/13 • 26 min

Tonight at 8pm learn more about William Lambert on The Gist of Freedom as we resume our reading of William Katz's book Breaking The Chains, Chapter 12 "Black Militias" William Lambert created the “African American Mysteries; the Order of the Men of Oppression,” a complicated set of rituals that protected the very existence of the Underground Railroad. Lambert was a friend and confidant of well known abolitionist John Brown, who Lambert insisted was a sane and reasonable man who voluntarily sacrificed himself to fan the flames of liberty. Blackburn, Thornton and Ruth (or Lucie) The Blackburns successfully and bravely escaped slavery from Louisville, KY. They had been settled in Detroit, Michigan, for two years when, in 1833, Kentucky slave hunters captured and arrested the couple. The Blackburns were jailed but allowed visitors, which provided the opportunity for Ruth to exchange her clothes - and her incarceration - with Mrs. George French; Ruth escaped to Canada. The day before Thornton was to be returned to Kentucky, the African American community rose up in protest. While the commotion was going on, Sleepy Polly and Daddy Walker helped Thornton to escape to Canada. The commotion turned into a two day riot and the sheriff was killed. It was the first race riot in Detroit, and afterward the first Riot Commission was formed in the U.S. Once in Canada, Thornton designed, built, and operated Toronto's first horse-drawn carriage hackney cab and cab company.

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Black Whalers w/ genealogist Earl Depass

Black Whalers, with genealogist Earl Depass! Whaling: Opportunities for African Americans Four Whalers of African Descent The whaling industry, created several black abolitionists, entrepreneurs & philanthropists! Whaling Centered until the 1870s in New Bedford, employed a large number of African Americans. This was in part due to the Quaker tradition of tolerance in the New Bedford area, but more importantly, to the large demand for manpower in an expanding industry requiring unusually large crews. Some black seamen in the business were Americans, from the Northeast and the South, some were from the West Indies, and a significant group was from the Cape Verde Islands off the African coast. Whatever their origin, black seamen found acceptance as hard workers and skilled mariners in an industry that was physically demanding, dirty, and often financially unrewarding. When the center of the industry moved to San Francisco in the 1870s, African Americans continued to form a large percentage of the crews. The whaling business was no doubt the largest employer of African Americans seamen on the West Coast until it ended shortly before World War I.

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First rehearsal/ Reading Underground Railroad Play

“THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD” Written by Leslie Gist & William Beasley The play has been a dream of Leslie’s for quite some time and now it is coming to fruition. Ms. Sherry Jackson, past foreman of The National Park Service asked Leslie to write a play about the Underground Railroad in a manner that kids could relate to. The theme is that kids in an Underground Railroad Safe House are going on a journey. This reading pulls the audience in as it covers two eras: the past and the present. Mrs. Gist is working with Harlem Actors. For this rendition, the actors will be seated on the stage in their street clothes, and reading the script. While this is not a full blown production, it is a prelude to what is next. The Saturday Academy is honored that Mrs. Gist asked our John Wesley family and friends to be the first audience. You are encouraged to come out with our kids and youth, use your imagination, digest some of our history in an alternative manner, and look forward to the next chapter. Leslie continues to inspire us with all that she does. As author and historian, her book – “The Gist of Freedom is Still Faith” is a must read. She has been a friend and staunch supporter of the Saturday Academy since 2010. Our guests have a three to four hour trip as they are traveling from New Jersey and New York. Please RSVP by 10 January 2014 Actors Justin W. White, Fredric Michaels, Winter -Lee Holland and Niambi Steele Point of contact: Betty Brooks, [email protected]