On February 27^th, HSP will be hosting a lecture and panel discussion entitled “The Blackest Market: Kidnapping, Slavery, and Salvation”. The not-so-fun word play in the title alludes to the racial fabric and illegal and immoral nature of the part of history that will be discussed. Author of We Shall Be No More: Suicide and Self-Government in the Newly United States and other titles, Dr. Richard Bell, a  professor of history at University of Maryland and HSP fellow, will be giving the lecture. This event offers Act 48/CEU credits.

Appropriately, this lecture will conclude our February events here at HSP and would be a wonderful way to wrap up your observation of Black History Month as well! Sharing a story of five young Philadelphian men, Professor Bell will illustrate the harsh reality of human trafficking as it was in the 19^th century. The “black market,” was a manifestation of greed, racism and depravity in the history of the U.S. and a particularly painful plight for black history. Educators, students, and our general public are all encouraged to join us for this provocative and eye-opening lecture.

Whether you and your students can attend the lecture or not, make sure to peruse our Slavery and Abolition page for excellent resources and digitized artifacts. This includes a unit plan, From Fugitive Slaves to Free Americans, from which you can navigate to other relevant pages on Pennsylvania Abolition for example. All unit plans provide background reading materials as well as supplemental lesson plans. There are also an array of online primary sources, a selection of secondary sources as well as links to online digital projects on the topic. One to highlight is the virtual exhibition, Contradiction of Freedom in a New Nation, which is a section of HSP’s Preserving American Freedom digital project. The artifacts and documents will help you and your students illustrate the history lessons on slavery and abolition, and cultivate the humane wisdom that comes through teaching and learning about affliction and overcoming.

Do not forget to RSVP for this month’s lecture event, “The Blackest Market: Kidnapping, Slavery, and Salvation”!