Exhibitions

…riences In Pursuit of Freedom Weeksville: Lived Experiences In Pursuit of Freedom Weeksville, an intentional African American community exemplifies a crucial aspect of freedom in Brooklyn’s anti-slavery movement. In the spirit of creativity, which inspired the founders and residents of the historic community, Weeksville Heritage Center’s long-term exhibition employs superhero imagery to re-imagine alter-egos of key Weeksville figures. Color Be…

US Department of Education Resources

…torical Society, Irondale Ensemble Project and Weeksville Heritage Center, this project, the first of its kind, comprises original scholarly research; a series of exhibitions at the three partner sites, a curriculum for teachers and their students, grades 4-12; an original theater piece that premiered at the Irondale Theater in May of 2012; a new website; a public memorial in downtown Brooklyn to honor the anti-slavery movement in Brooklyn; walki…

Funders

…James, Christine Quinn, Domenic Recchia, Albert Vann and David Yassky. In Pursuit of Freedom is assisted by a grant from the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, made possible by the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior….

Introduction

…and economics of slavery. While figures such as William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass and John Brown have come to dominate abolitionist narratives, they were joined by countless others who also fought for an end to slavery and whose important contributions have been largely forgotten. In Pursuit of Freedom highlights just a few of these ordinary men and women, black and white who came from all walks of life – educators, homeowners, business…

Glossary

…klyn transformed from town to city, it absorbed some of the other towns. Manumission Legal process for enslaved Africans to purchase their own freedom or be emancipated by slaveholder. Mutual Aid Arrangements made between people of a community to assist each other. Propaganda A technique used to sway people’s opinions, adopt a certain behavior, or perform a particular action. Secession The act of formally withdrawing from a political federation….

About the Project

…s and a memorial to Brooklyn Abolitionists that will be part of the new Willoughby Square Park when it opens in 2016. In Pursuit of Freedom Project Credits Executive Directors Brooklyn Historical Society, Deborah Schwartz Irondale Ensemble Project, Terry Greiss Weeksville Heritage Center, Pamela Green In Pursuit of Freedom Project Staff Prithi Kanakamedala, Ph.D., Historian and Curator Kate Fermoile, Project Manager Carol Enseki, Former Project…