National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
My final Cincinnati post, for this trip anyway, is about the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, a museum that opened in 2004. The Freedom Center is appropriately located in downtown Cincinnati on Freedom Way and the banks of the Ohio River, which once separated the slave states of the South from the free states of the North. It was at this spot that thousands of enslaved people crossed the border into the free state of Ohio.
Harriet Tubman Memorial
The museum's primary focus is on the Underground Railroad which was vast, encompassing more than just the area near the Freedom Center. The Underground Railroad, a network of routes, resources, and safe houses, ran east and west across the U.S., south to Mexico and north to Canada. Its purpose was to help enslaved African Americans escape to freedom.
Escape! Freedom Seekers and the Underground Railroad
The museum has various exhibits that educate visitors about the Underground Railroad, the abolitionists, and the freedom seekers. For example, the interactive exhibit pictured above uses storytelling and participatory activities to immerse you in the experience of those journeying the Underground Railroad.
The museum also catalogues significant landmarks on the journey from slavery to freedom.
Throughout the museum you will see timelines, like the one above, highlighting different movements that impacted and influenced the fight for freedom.
In addition to the permanent exhibits I have already mentioned, the museum features traveling exhibits like this one called "The Green Book."
This exhibit offers a glimpse into the difficulty, apprehension and fear that African Americans faced when traveling during segregation and Jim Crow. The exhibit features the Green Book, started in 1936 by a postman named Victor Green. This travel guidebook helped African Americans navigate the country by providing information on places where they could eat and sleep safely.
Throughout the museum, you will also see artwork in various forms.
This includes a film that was produced by the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. The 25-minute documentary, "Mandela: Prepared to Die," tells the story of Nelson Mandela's journey to freedom and leadership. The documentary won a 2019 Ohio Valley Regional Emmy.
Freedom's Eternal Flame Terrace
On the third floor of the museum, you'll find a terrace featuring a glass encased flame. The terrace is meant to be a contemplative space. It is a quiet environment with views of the Ohio River and the Roebling Bridge. The museum's literature states that "the flame will continue to burn until all people are free."
On that note, the museum has a permanent exhibit called "Invisible: Slavery Today," that calls attention to the reality of modern-day slavery and human trafficking.
In addition to providing modern examples of slavery and injustice, the exhibit explores the ways that government, the justice system, economics and other factors play a role in contributing to and perpetuating slavery and human trafficking.
Roebling Bridge
That concludes my trip to Cincinnati. I hope you enjoyed this series and feel inspired to visit the Queen City again, or for the first time.
I'm excited to share about a new destination soon. Per the request of a close friend, I'll be writing about one of our favorite, tropical paradises next.
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