Space is limited to thirty 8th – 12th grade history teachers, who will receive a $50 stipend post-attendance & 1.0 CEUs upon completion of all program requirements.
For enslaved people throughout the history of North Carolina and America, freedom was not something that was simple or gained overnight. And while we often think of slavery in only a binary (that people were either enslaved or they were free) below the surface of the brutal and inhumane period of chattel slavery, there was more complexity as well as community. From the enslaved North Carolinians who sought and/or defined freedom for themselves, to those free and enslaved who assisted freedom seekers in escaping, to the rich and complex communities that were formed between enslaved and free people, a wholly accurate understanding of this period must include attention to the various ways Black people strove to experience varied concepts of freedom through their individual and collective agency, resistance, and resilience.
North Carolina history teachers from grades 8 – 12 are invited to join the NC African American Heritage Commission, Carolina K-12, and NC Historic Sites, in partnership with the National Park Service Underground Railroad Network to Freedom and others, to explore this rich history in “Network to Freedom: Exploring the Agency, Resistance, & Resilience of North Carolina’s Freedom Seekers,” a FREE, virtual workshop on Thursday, May 6, 2021. Throughout the pre-readings assigned, participation in the virtual workshop, and in implementing the lesson plans provided, participants will explore topics such as: North Carolina’s Underground Railroad network, the rich Maritime communities free and enslaved Blacks formed, maroon settlements, the role of North Carolina’s rivers in seeking freedom, the assistance of Quaker communities to freedom seekers, and the role of Black people in aiding and supporting one another throughout both enslavement and freedom.
As noted by Dr. Hasan Jeffries, “Trapped in an unimaginable hell, enslaved people forged unbreakable bonds with one another. Indeed, no one knew better the meaning and importance of family and community than the enslaved. They fought back too, in the field and in the house, pushing back against enslavers in ways that ranged from feigned ignorance to flight and armed rebellion. There is no greater hope to be found in American history than in African Americans’ resistance to slavery.” North Carolina’s rich and complex history of freedom seeking, in both overt and subtle ways, is testament to such hope.
For more information, please visit Carolina K-12's website.