CINCINNATI, OH (February 20, 2018) – The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center will host the John & Francie Pepper Freedom Lecture Series with Dr. Nikki Taylor on Thursday, March 1 at 6:00 p.m. The John & Francie Pepper Freedom Lecture Series connects the public with award-winning authors, historians and thought-leaders, discussing themes on history, race, culture and modern abolition. Dr.
Taylor is the first African American woman to write a history of Garner and uses the black feminist theory approach in writing and combines history with trauma studies to account for shortcomings in the written record. The lecture is free and open to the public. RSVPs are requested.
Cincy Magazine is the print media sponsor for the 2017 – 2018 series.
Dr. Taylor will discuss her latest work, Driven Toward Madness: The Fugitive Slave Margaret Garner and Tragedy on the Ohio. Margaret Garner was the runaway slave who, when confronted with capture just outside of Cincinnati, killed her toddler daughter rather than have her face a life in slavery. The story inspired Toni Morrison’s Beloved and the film based on the novel starring Oprah Winfrey.
“We are honored to have Dr. Taylor offer our guests a historical perspective on the life and story of Margaret Garner as it was one of tragedy and resistance,” says Christopher Miller, Manager of Program Initiatives at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. “As we share these stories that many times are misconstrued, we continue to challenge and inspire everyone’s thinking on how important it is to put history in its factual and objective context.”
A native of Cincinnati, Dr. Taylor is a professor at Howard University that specializes in 19th century African American History. Dr. Taylor’s work also includes, Frontiers of Freedom: Cincinnati’s Black Community 1802-1868, America’s First Black Socialist: The Radical Life of Peter H. Clark.
John & Francie Pepper Freedom Lecture Series with Dr. Nikki Taylor at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is Thursday, March 1 with a public reception at 6:00 p.m. followed by the lecture. Cincy Magazine is the print media sponsor for the 2017-2018 series. The lecture is free open to the public. RSVPs are requested. For more information and to RSVP visit freedomcenter.org.