A stop at the Detroit Public Library which was the location of the jail that was the location of the citys first race riot. This location is where thornton and rutha were in jail. They escaped from slavery and there was an uprising to free them. They escaped from louisville, kentucky. They escaped because rutha blackburn had been sold down into new orleans, and thornton did not want to lose the woman he loved, so they escaped together and came to the city of detroit in 1831. When they came to detroit, it was far away from kentucky. Slave law,the 1793 going to ohio was still risky because bounty hunters could come and take you, even from free states, and take you back out to wherever you came from. In ohio where they had been for a little while, it was too close to kentucky, bounty hunters were always in and out of ohio bringing people back into slavery. So when they arrived here, thornton is a brick maker, working as a brick mason for a couple of years, making a is ag, and rutha seamst
Turns. Doctor ben carson is tonights lecturer. His list ofep accomplishments would keep me up here all night if i mentioned them also i will hit a few highlights and then let him tell you his American Dream. For nearly 30 years, doctor carson served as the director of pediatric neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins childrens center, a position the youngest person when he was 33yearsold, the youngest person in the hospitals history to do so. In 1987, he successfully performed the first separation of cranial twins conjoined at the head. His honors include the president ial medal, of freedom, the highest award granted to a civilian. He holds 70 honorary degrees. Doctor carson and his wife, kandi, are cofounders of the Carson Scholars Fund that recognizes young people of all backgrounds for exceptional academic and humanitarian accomplishments. Today theyve awarded 10,000 scholars and more than 8 million in scholarships. We have a special connection with doctor carson that was forged long ago.
Wonderful person to introduce here. And the wonderful part about this is that this event has happened in such a circular synergistic cooperative and loving way i can tell you i first learned about the book the tentative agreement coming out through the pipeline. I saw dr. Miles. Yes, it just started like that. And here you are. Weve been talking on email. I love the fact that you are here. The nonfiction bookstore. In our book fair in the categories of history and Culture Health and wellbeing. Without any further ado i want to introduce you to stephen for with history of his very own i am proud to be introducing my friend and colleague as you will hear from what i tell you and what she will present to you. She is a fierce intellectual force. I want you to know that shes one of the nicest and warmest people that you will ever get to meet. She is an Author University teacher and public historian. With the native native american history. The story of a turkey family published in 2005 next
Happens in a loving way that there is a great move back one but coming out on the pipeline so then it just started like that and here you are. I love the foot the fact that you are here. The nonfiction bookstore and the categories of culture and thank you for all of that. Want to introduce you doctor niles, thank you so much b17. I am proud to be introducing my friend and colleague as a fierce intellectual force also one of the nicest and warmest people youll ever meet as an author and University Teacher prize winning works but first the family getting freedom next the house on the diamond hill to follow those with the study of race and gender dark tourism then memories of slavery. Also a writer of fiction and feminist essays and the cherokee rose is set on present day georgia. The Publishers Weekly pick in 2015. And another book that all georgians should read with the department of american culture, history and womens studies. 2011 Macarthur Foundation fellow. [applause] her current w
Cow with that important line so with those banks through canada. And i grew up in the free state. And they took the position here at the university of missouri michigan 2,002. And when i got here i had to learn my place in the midwest because michigan is not the same as ohio. So one of the reasons is because of that international border. So i explored this with my students with the graduates from of years ago but one of the things that we did was go on local history to hers with the africanamerican culture back in an arbor. Said to focus on the underground railroad and then ive learned for the first time just how active michigan has been active in the underground railroad and to recognize in our town of anbar for and arbour i hope you will go there im sure you have been there but hat exhibit but it was very small. So that your we did research and projects that is what got me into local history in this area regarding the underground railroad. That is our starting with the underground ra