As it certainly tonight talk show host used to say, why dont we get busy. I want to begin with the first photograph and recite some numbers to you as well. Just to give you a sense of perspective. According to the census of 1860, there were over 990,000 black women from 15 up to 44 years of age. Their 1. 3 million children under 10 years of age. Over 120,000 black children under one year of age, and, all of these, most of these, what have been enslaved people. Thanks to research put together by the guild institute, there are things that we can say. We know that few enslaved people lived until old age. Between 1830 and 1860, only 10 of enslaved people in north america were over 50 years old. Half of all enslaved babies died in the first year of life. That was twice the rate of white babies. The average birthrate of slave weight of slave infants was less than 5. 5 pounds. Slave children were tiny. Their average height cannot reach three feet until they were four years old. They were 5. 5
Saturday afternoon at the Second Baptist Church, also known as the Town Clock Church, there was a candlelight vigil honoring those who were part of the Underground Railroad and those