The Fate of Frances

As I continue making my way through the Kinsey African American Art & History Collection while it’s here through March 4, I come across a letter written in1854. Reading through it I’m extremely appalled and disheartened by its content. The letter details a slave master by the name of AMF Crawford selling off a seventeen year-old girl named Frances he owns to pay for a stable of horses. What’s bad (as this alone is already awful of him taking part in the institution of slavery), he’s taking her away from her family. Even worst, he’s having her hand deliver the instructed letter transferring ownership of her freedom to her new master, unbeknownst to her. All of this and he doesn’t even have any type of courage to tell her this is happening.

Reading the letter literally almost had me in tears as I couldn’t even imagine someone having to go through that – to not even know you’re delivering your freedom to another person as property, never to see your family again. This is all so this slave master can simply pay for horses. This reminds me that when you truly reflect on America’s history, it wasn’t too long ago that this was the “norm” for our society.

Seeing letters such as this one in the exhibit are truly powerful and moving to me. Experiencing this in the Kinsey Collection helps to reiterate the part of our mission of “challenging and inspiring everyone to take courageous steps of freedom today”. It challenges and corrects misconceptions that are often portrayed about history especially pertaining to me being of African descent. Although reading the letter did put me in a bad mood for a good part of my work day, I felt better thinking that hopefully the next person who sees it will also experience similar emotions and will want to take action in seeing atrocities like this never have the chance to happen again.

#28DaysofKinsey

Will jones
Public Relations & Social Media Coordinator
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

A Fresh Perspective

As the visitor walks through the Kinsey African American Art & History Collection they are exposed to the legacy of the Americas. The visitor encounters materials documenting the age of enslavement and paintings by contemporary African American artists. When one typically learns about the history of colonial America and the United States in school, there is a typical cast of characters. George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Betsy Ross come to mind. In fairness, figures like Crispus Attucks and Sacajawea are discussed, but often in service of a larger narrative about mostly white, male American heroes. The pieces in the Kinsey Collection provide a different and necessary point of view; namely, America’s African roots.

Through primary sources, works of art and artifacts, the visitor learns about the experiences of African Americans and how they contributed to the fabric of the United States. A marriage certificate from the 16th century testifies to two enslaved people sharing their lives with one another in Spanish Florida. An early edition of 18th century African American poet Phillis Wheatley’s Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral signifies the author’s genius. Born in West Africa, Wheatley was an enslaved worker who lived in Boston during the 1760s and 70s. Her poetry, touching on subjects from the early years of Harvard University to “His Excellency, George Washington” provides a unique perspective on the crucible of the American Revolution. Small wonder the “father of our country” asked to meet with her. Meanwhile, works of art by figures such as Romare Bearden and Elizabeth Catlett proclaim the influence African American artists have had on the American aesthetic.

The Kinsey Collection is simultaneously reflective and forward-thinking. It encapsulates the contributions African Americans have made to the history, society, and art of the Americas. I am proud to work with a museum hosting such a rich collection of material culture.

#28DaysofKinsey

Jonathan Turbin
Education Team: Researcher and Floor Staff
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

This Small Book

The Negro Motorist Green Book, published from 1936 to 1966 by New York City mailman, Victor Hugo Green, was used by African American travelers to traverse a hostile American landscape when trying to get from place to place. When the Green Book arrived at our museum, it needed to be encapsulated for display. I had the opportunity to page through the book before preparing it for the exhibition.

What strikes one immediately about this publication is how small it is. This book contained all the places that were known to be safe or somewhat tolerant of African American travelers throughout the entire country. In 1941, every state, city and town fit into a book that was no more than 20, 8.5” x 5” pages. With 48 States in our Union, just 20 small pages were offered to provide safe havens for lodging, food and other necessities. African American citizens needed this book to safely navigate their own country. I speak of citizens who were denied access to restrooms and had to stop on the side of the road to relieve themselves. Citizens who traveled under the cover of darkness, because it was safer than driving in the daylight. Citizens for whom getting a flat tire in the wrong place meant facing a possible life or death situation. I am speaking of citizens whose lives were literally on the line as they tried to travel their own roads in their own country. This book was made for survival.

A book that should never have had to exist in a country that claims to be the “Land of the free and the home of the brave” These travelers are the ones who were brave, but they certainly weren’t free. Our country has a great many sins. This is one. There are areas today, in 2018, throughout our nation that are still unsafe for people of color and other minority groups to travel. Our society owes every single person affected by this a better existence. See the copy we have in the Kinsey African American Art & History Collection here at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center as we're in the final weeks.

#28DaysofKinsey

Jesse Kramer
Creative Director
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

The Works of Ernie Barnes

During my work day, I like to spend about 20 – 30 minutes checking out the exhibits. Of course being that the Kinsey African American Art & History Collection is our newest temporary exhibit, I’ve been spending time seeing rarities I know I’ll probably never have the opportunity to see again.

As I’ve worked my way to some of the last pieces of the exhibit, I come across paintings from an artist by the name of Ernie Barnes. Something about his work titled “Slow Drag” seems quite familiar to me as I carefully examined the elongated figures on the paintings. As I get on the elevator to head back to my desk it suddenly comes to me. The figures look just like a picture my late aunt had in her home. Once I’m at my desk, I google “Works of Ernie Barnes” images and I see just what I envisioned from my memory – a picture of his most famous painting “The Sugar Shack”.

Seeing that image along with his pieces in the Kinsey Collection brought back so many memories of spending time at my aunt’s home. I also began recalling other places I saw the painting that included other homes and black-owned, mom-and-pop businesses. From this realization I came to appreciate how much of an impact Barnes has had on Black culture, (even learning that Marvin Gaye used the image for his 1976 “I Want You” album cover). It was especially interesting learning that he was an actor and a football player. He used his art to convey the Black experience in America, especially in a feature he used in his paintings in which the figures had their eyes closed. He says “We stop at color quite often. So one of the things we have to be aware of is who we are in order to have the capacity to like others. But when you cannot visualize the offerings of another human being you're obviously not looking at the human being with open eyes”, as the reason behind this preferred feature in his work.

Many people tend to overlook the small yet significant stories African Americans have contributed to not only Black culture, but American culture. This little jewel learning about Ernie Barnes and the impact of his work will be something I’ll always cherish as it is exactly the message the Kinsey’s want all guests to take away – learning about the subtle but meaningful impacts and contributions African Americans have made to this country.

#28DaysofKinsey

Will Jones
Public Relations & Social Media Coordinator
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

Harper's Magazine

As the people of Alabama voted, the cover of Harper's Magazine from November 16, 1867 [which is part of the Kinsey Collection now on display at the Freedom Center] takes on special meaning to me.

Millions of people, both of African and European descent fought to end slavery (finally achieved by the ratification of the 13th Amendment in December 1865) and the recognition of the basic human and civil rights to the formerly enslaved (14th Amendment in July 1868). Almost immediately after the war, Freedman began voting, as depicted here in November 1867. Harper's took note of "the good sense and discretion, and above all the modesty" displayed by the freedmen. The magazine went on to note that they displayed no sense of exaltation or defiance, but were "serious, solemn and determined."

But as we know, the former Confederates, and, in fact, many in the North, resisted the important right of the Freedmen to vote, necessitating the effort to adopt the 15th Amendment in February, 1870.

If only that had been the end of the story. Jim Crow segregation suppressed the vote of African Americans with a merciless hand at the close of Reconstruction, culminating in the late 1890s. Voter suppression was enforced with literacy laws and poll taxes, as well as violence perpetrated by the KKK.

Fighting for the right to vote was a principal goal of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and '60s, culminating in the Voting Rights Act of 1965. A Supreme Court decision in 2013 weakened the ability of the federal government to protect minority voting and various forces have used ways to reduce minority voter registration and influence.
Alabama has been at the center of the struggle for full citizenship and voting rights at every turn. Today, if the Black voters of the state turn out, they could be the deciding factor in this critical special election for the U.S. Senate.

Visit the Kinsey African American Art & History Collection for inspiration and insight at the Freedom Center through February.

#28DaysofKinsey

Dan Hurley
Interim President
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

Brown vs. Board

The Kinsey African American Art and History Collection has an incredibly broad range of objects and art to take in. My favorite item in the collection is the signed decision letter for Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka. This document, unanimously approved and signed by the Supreme Court Justices holds special significance for me.

This past September marked the 60-year anniversary of the integration of Little Rock Central High School. Our exhibit Mandela: The Journey to Ubuntu opened at the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock the same weekend as this important anniversary. Several members of the Little Rock Nine attended the exhibit opening and the following day there was a ceremony in the auditorium of the high school commemorating their courageous actions 60 years prior.

Each of the surviving eight students spoke, reflecting on their experiences at Central. It was one of those rare times that you realize you are living in a moment of historic significance. Hearing those brave eight individuals speak in that auditorium was one of the most impactful experiences of my life. It may well be the most important moment I ever witness. Two months after returning home from that trip, we began the installation of the Kinsey Collection. Holding the document that allowed those nine brave students access to Little Rock Central, the gravity of the piece was not lost on me. This document is here in our gallery, an unassuming 8.5” x 11” piece of paper with five signatures that forever changed the course of American history, the lives of the Little Rock Nine and every student that followed.

#28DaysofKinsey

Jesse Kramer
Creative Director
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

Quiet Strength

The Kinsey African American Art & History Collection is incredibly powerful and it has been an honor to promote the exhibition with the NURFC team these past few months. The breadth and depth of content, historical and personal, highlights the untold stories of so many Americans – from photographic, literary and artistic perspectives. I believe it would be nearly impossible to walk through a personal collection of this caliber and not have one, or more, objects speak to you. I try to make a point to spend at least 10 minutes in the Skirball Gallery each day I am in the office and “get to know” a new piece of the collection and I have learned so much.

One object in particular that catches my eye each time I walk through The Kinsey Collection is a book signed to Shirley Kinsey. This book, titled Quiet Strength, was signed by Rosa Parks in 1998.
I’m a fan of signed books. I’ve been known to stand in line for extended periods of time for the opportunity to thank an author for their work and have them sign a copy of my book.

Seeing this book has made me ask myself – how long would you stand in line for Rosa Parks’ signature? How could you possibly begin to say thank you and honor her life’s work, her journey? I think the only answer is another question: How could you leave a line leading you to Rosa Parks?

#28DaysofKinsey

Jamie Glavic
AVP of Marketing & Communications
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

28 Days of The Kinsey Collection

In honor of Black History Month we want to recognize the many contributions and triumphs African Americans made to America throughout history. What better way to show this than to highlight the pieces of the Kinsey African American Art & History Collection?

Married for over forty years, activist couple Bernard and Shirley Kinsey have built a world-renowned exhibition that challenge and redefine African American identity and representation in history and arts. What began as a third grade project for their son Khalil – turned in to one of the largest privately owned collections of African American art, artifacts and manuscripts in the country. Spanning over 400 years, their collection feature works from Zora Neale Hurston, Romare Bearden, and Elizabeth Catlett – to name a few. Guests can even find pieces that have local ties to the city of Cincinnati such as the “Autumn Landscape” by Robert S. Duncanson, who spent the majority of his professional career in the Queen City.

This is the second time the exhibit has made its way here to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. It was originally the second location the collection appeared when it began traveling in 2006. Since then, it has been displayed at the California African American Museum, The Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Epcot Center at Disney World and The Hong Kong University Museum and Gallery to name a few, and has won many prestigious awards including the President’s National Award for Museum and Library Services.

Throughout February our staff, volunteers and docents will highlight pieces of the collection as well as give you first-person accounts of their experiences in the gallery. See the Kinsey African American Art & History Collection, presented by Macy’s, at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center before it closes on Saturday, March 3. #MyNURFC #KinseyatNURFC

Will Jones
Public Relations & Social Media Coordinator
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

Becoming an Ethical Consumer with Fair Trade

According to the Global Slavery Index, there are 45.8 million slaves in the world today and over two-thirds of those slaves are victims of forced labor. Forced Labor is obtaining and transporting of a person for labor through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purposes of involuntary servitude, debt bondage, or slavery. Forced labor is the type of enslavement used across the world to produce many products in our global supply chains. The desire to produce a profit is the largest motivating force behind the institution of slavery.

Fortunately, we as consumers can fight forced labor by shifting the demand of our buying habits to fair trade and survivor-made goods. Fair trade is more than just paying a laborer a fair wage, however. Fair trade is a reciprocal partnership based on mutual respect that allows us to buy the products we love without taking advantage of the people who make them. By educating yourself about fair trade and debunking its myths, you can start to change your buying habits and become a smarter consumer.

Since fair trade clothing and home goods are less accessible to find than fair trade food, for example, here are five ways to build a slave-free closet. By supporting ethical brands, shopping less and choosing better, choosing quality products over quantity, buying vintage or second-hand, and valuing the clothes you have, we hold companies and governments accountable to put people before products.

Additionally, check out our list of many fair trade retailers from EndSlaveryNow.org where you can get started. You can also find your slavery footprint or download our Slave Free Buying Guide, an ethical shopping guide with many suggestions for fair trade products.

Fair trade doesn’t have to be overwhelming! From now on, take small steps such as switching to one or two fair trade products such as fair trade coffee or t-shirts. Additionally, donate your money or time to a fair trade or anti-human trafficking organization, many of which can be found here.

We hope you join the fight in ending slavery!

Madeline Anderson

Intern

National Undeground Railroad Freedom Center

Why Knowing the Red Flag Indicators of Human Trafficking Is Important

Modern-day slavery does not care who you are, what you look like, or where you come from. It can happen to anyone—any of us—at any given time.

It is estimated that 20-45.8 million people are enslaved in the world today, in every country in the world today, including the United States. Although exact numbers are difficult to pin point, in the U.S. we know that in the past eight years more than 31,600 total cases of human trafficking have been reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline[1].

But what is human trafficking? Is it the same as modern day slavery? In short, yes. The United Nations defines human trafficking as, “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons by improper means (such as force, abduction, fraud, or coercion) for an improper purpose including forced labor or sexual exploitation.” [2] Both the definition of “modern day slavery” and “human trafficking” deal with the enslavement of human beings.

As previously stated—slavery can happen to anyone. Not all enslaved people look one specific way, nor do all traffickers look one specific way. However, there are red flag indicators in human trafficking cases that help people correctly identify victims.  And knowing these indicators do help. In 2016, the National Human Trafficking Hotline found that community members called the hotline more than any other demographic. Out of 26,727 calls made last year, 7,545 of them were placed by members in the community who knew the signs.

So, why am I telling you all of this? On June 10th, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center held See & Say: How to Spot the Signs of Human Trafficking, a training workshop aimed at helping people understand the red flag indicators of human trafficking. We wanted to provide the general public with an introductory training of these warning sings, with the ultimate goal if you see something, you will say something. The idea for the program came after a discussion with the Freedom Center’s curator, Dr. Ashley Jordan, about how a person could receive training on the warning signs of human trafficking. This conversation stemmed from the news report on Shelia Fedrick, the Alaskan Airlines flight attendant who was successfully able to identify a victim of human trafficking on her flight last February[3]. Because of Shelia Fedrick’s knowledge of these critical signs, she was able to help a young girl escape enslavement.

Understanding the signs of human trafficking is one of the easiest ways a person can help fight against slavery—it literally just requires you to be more vigilant and aware in your normal, everyday situations. At the Freedom Center, part of our mission is to “challenge and inspire everyone to take courageous steps of freedom today,” and that is what our See & Say program was all about. Our goal was to educate attendees on the warning signs of human trafficking and encourage “if you see something, say something.[4]”

Katie Bramell

Researcher

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

[1] https://polarisproject.org/facts

[2] http://www.endslaverynow.org/learn/slavery-today

[3] http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/flight-attendants-train-spot-human-trafficking-n716181

[4] http://www.endslaverynow.org/act/action-library/read-and-share-these-red-flag-indicators