Major League Baseball’s 2010 Gillette Civil Rights Game Weekend is back in Cincinnati for a second consecutive year.  And, just as in 2009, the Freedom Center is hosting the Baseball and the Civil Rights Movement roundtable discussion whose panelists display a decidedly local flair:  former Cincinnati Reds greats Joe Morgan and Barry Larkin and current Cincinnati Bengals Head Coach Marvin Lewis.

The Cincinnati pro sports celebrities will join comedian Mark Curry and tennis legend Zina Garrison on the panel discussion, which will once again by moderated by Harvard Law School professor Charles Ogletree.  The roundtable will be held in the Freedom Center’s Harriet Tubman Theater on Friday, May 14, from 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. and it is free and open to the public. and will also be streamed live on MLB.com.

The roundtable is one of a series of events surrounding the actual playing of the Civil Rights game between the host Cincinnati Reds and the St. Louis Cardinals on May 15.  Prior to the 7:10 first pitch, Major League Baseball’s annual Beacon Awards luncheon, at the Duke Energy Center, will honor tennis great Billie Jean King, baseball Hall-of-Famer Willie Mays, and entertainer Harry Belafonte.  Former Atlanta Mayor, Congressman and U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young will deliver the keynote speech at the luncheon.  Proceeds from the lunch will benefit the MLB Urban Youth Foundation, the Cincinnati Reds Community Fund and the Freedom Center.

Donald Murphy, President and CEO of the Freedom Center, said the Civil Rights game and weekend offers the region and the nation a unique opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of those in the sports and entertainment fields who used their prominence to raise awareness of the need for strong civil rights enforcement.  “We’re genuinely pleased to host the Civil Rights Movement roundtable discussion once again,” Murphy stated.  “Last year’s discussion was entertaining, robust, and illuminating, and we can’t help but feel that this year’s roundtable will be equally as compelling.”

For more information or to purchase tickets to the MLB Beacon Awards Luncheon or the Civil Rights game, log on to www.MLB.com/civilrightsgame.

”Just say that I was a Drum Major for Justice…” – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This Easter weekend, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center will be honored at the 31^st Annual Drum Major for Justice Awards Dinner in Atlanta, Georgia, presented by the SCLC/Women’s Organization Movement for Equality Now, Inc.

In honor of the life and work of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. the Drum Major for Justice Awards Dinner pays tribute to present day “Drum Majors” – individuals and organizations who have made major contributions to the cause of freedom, advancing equality, and achievement in their professional fields.

Donald Murphy, President and CEO of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, will accept the  “Keeper of the Legacy” Award.  Previous Drum Major for Justice honorees include Rosa Parks, The Original Tuskegee Airmen, Maya Angelou, Bill Cosby, and Oprah Winfrey.

“It is truly an honor to be recognized as a “Keeper of the Legacy” at the Drum Major for Justice Awards.  The purpose of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is to inspire people to action, in the spirit of the 19th Century Abolitionists, to pursue justice and freedom for all people,” Murphy said.

The SCLC/ Women’s Organizational Movement for Equality Now, Inc. (W.O.M.E.N.) was founded in 1979 by Evelyn Gibson Lowery, to champion the rights of women, children, families, and responding to the problems of the disenfranchised regardless of ethnicity, gender, age, or religion.

The Ohio Civil Rights Commission is seeking nominations for induction into the Ohio Civil Rights Hall of Fame.  As many as 10 nominees can be chosen.

Nominations are due by May 31, and the induction ceremony is slated for October 14 in Columbus.  More information and a nomination form are available here.

The Ohio Civil Rights Commission Hall of Fame was created in 2009 through the collaborative efforts of the Ohio Civil Rights Commission,Honda of America Mfg., Inc., Wright State University and the National
Underground Railroad Freedom Center

Due to the high volume of phone calls & e-mails received concerning the “Playground” screening the NURFC asks for you to send an RSVP to FreedomCenterRSVP@gmail.com to reserve your seat. We have a 300 seat theater and expect this FREE screening to fill up quickly.

The Freedom Center will host a free screening of “Playground,” the shocking undercover documentary film on sex trafficking in America.

The 1 hour-25-minute film will be shown at 6 p.m. on March 11 in the Harriet Tubman Theater.  The screening is free and open to the public, but seating is limited to the first 300 viewers.

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Attention, budding movie directors:  Do you have a film you’d like the general public to see? Is it a film that celebrates the triumph of the human spirit?

If so, you might have the opportunity to screen your production on October 10, as the Freedom Center presents “Triumph Film Festival,” a day-long series of activities centered on the showing of movies, including feature length, short or animated films.

Starting the process is simple: click here to access a form that asks about your film — and you.   Deadline for submissions is August 17, and final selections will be made on September 1.

Please limit the length of your submissions to no more than 15-20 minutes.

Former President Bill Clinton will come to Cincinnati to be the keynote speaker for Major League Baseball’s Beacon Awards Luncheon on June 20.

The luncheon, at Duke Energy Center, is honoring three civil rights luminaries: Muhammad Ali, Bill Cosby and Henry (Hank) Aaron.  Later that day, the Civil Rights Game between the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox will be played at Great American Ball Park.

The Civil Rights Game was created by MLB two years ago to increase awareness of the role baseball played in breaking the color barrier of segregation in American society in the years after World War II.

As part of the weekend of activities, the Freedom Center on June 19 is hosting a Roundtable discussion of civil rights-related issues in the Harriet Tubman Theater. The Roundtable will begin at 4 p.m., moderated by Harvard Law Professor Charles Ogletree and featuring a broad array of local and national guest panelists.

Proceeds from the Beacon Awards Luncheon will benefit the MLB Urban Youth Foundation, the Cincinnati Reds Community Fund and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

For more information or to purchase tickets to the MLB Beacon Awards Luncheon and the Gillette Civil Rights Game, please visit www.MLB.com/civilrightsgame.

The National History Club and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center are pleased to announce the winners of the 2008 Freedom Center Essay Contest. The contest was held during this school year and students from across the country wrote essays on the history of the Underground Railroad and the movement that resulted in the abolishment of slavery in the United States. Students also explained how the 19th Century abolitionist cause can help combat modern forms of human trafficking.

Robert Nasson, Executive Director of the NHC, said the essay contest allowed students to examine an issue that is still as relevant today as it was 200 years ago. “The reason why we study history is to learn the lessons of the past, and students were able to look at the Underground Railroad and abolitionist movement and apply those lessons to the problems we face as a society today,” Nasson said.

“These are all intelligent, thoughtful and well-written essays, which ought to be encouraging to anyone who thinks young people today don’t have an interest in understanding history,” said Freedom Center CEO Don Murphy. “The narrative surrounding the Underground Railroad is inspiring, and it also has great contemporary relevance, which these essays capture perfectly.”

The winners are:

1st prize: $1,000
Malaya Saldana – Parkview High School, Georgia (Read the Essay)
Kelly Schmidt – McAuley High School, Ohio (Read the Essay)

2nd Prize: $500
Hayin Candiotti, Passaic County Technical Institute, New Jersey (Read the Essay)
Jacob Ratliff, Amelia High School, Ohio (Read the Essay)
Kevin Ruiz, Passaic County Technical Institute, New Jersey (Read the Essay)

Honorable Mention: Copy of David Blight’s “Passages To Freedom”
Katrina Bandeli, Wayne High School, New Jersey
Rebekah Frese, Carlisle Middle School, Iowa
Manon Lefevre, Cromwell High School, Connecticut
Angela Sun, East Middle School, Michigan

As the federal economic stimulus package winds its way into “shovel ready” construction projects in cities and towns across America, it’s a useful exercise to consider how to involve minority contractors in the effort to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure.

Look no further than the example of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, which opened in August 2004 after two years of construction on a site along Cincinnati’s Ohio River waterfront.

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Below are some of the ways you can help support the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center:

Donate

Find out how your donation can help support our efforts to end slavery and promote freedom worldwide.

Membership

Find out about all the benefits that come with being a member of the Freedom Center.

Volunteer

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center’s volunteer program inspires individuals to serve as ambassadors demonstrating the values of courage, cooperation and perseverance for all people. Find out about volunteer opportunities at the Freedom Center.

Join our Facebook Cause

Show your support and help recruit new supporters via Facebook

Shop Online at Amazon

Whenever you follow our link and purchase any item(s) from Amazon.com, they will donate a small percentage of the sale to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

So, for example, if you wanted to purchase a new digital camera from Amazon.com, if you enter Amazon’s website through our link, we’ll receive a commission on the camera sale. Shop Online at Amazon.com and help support freedom.

Join Our Newsletter

Stay up-to-date with programs, events, exhibits and everything else the NURFC  does to help spread freedom.

The Covington, KY Artisans Enterprise Center, just across the Ohio River from the Freedom Center, is presenting a one-day exhibit of the work of four African artists.  The twist is that the artists themselves will be on hand to explain and convey stories about their work.

The show, entitled “Thinking Through Reality,” is from 6 – 10 p.m. On Friday, Feb. 6, at the Covington Artisans Enterprise Center, located at 25 West 7th St. .  It is the first of a series of presentations on African arts and culture that will take place at the Center until February 20.

More information is available at this link.

The 2009 Black Book Fair returns to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center on Saturday, February 7 for an all-day event that is free to the general public.

The book fair, which runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., enables area businesses to market their merchandise from kiosks and tables set up in the Freedom Center’s spacious Grand Hall.  A host of children’s activities, workshops, choir performances and other fun events will be highlighted throughout the day.

The book fair is sponsored by the Radio One family of Cincinnati radio stations WMOJ-FM, the WIZ and 1230 am WDBZ.  More details are available on WMOJ’s website.

In response to the historic occasion of the inauguration of Barack Obama as President of the United States of America, Mr. Westmoreland interviews a variety of citizens who were at the National Underground Freedom Center to watch the inauguration.  Please view the individual interviews below.

Introduction by Carl Westmoreland

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