What we do
Research
Through our partnership with Lincoln University’s Center for Public History, as well as through partnerships with researchers and scholars across the country, we identify and document the stories of the Underground Railroad.
In creative collaboration with artists, writers, chefs, and musicians from our local community and across the country, we tell the stories of the Underground Railroad through transformative creative experiences.
Experiences
In partnership with descendants, scholars, and artists, we are creating the National Memorial to the Underground Railroad in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Memorialization
Our commitments
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We believe that the work of community healing begins with the act of welcome; the act of creating spaces in which others are seen, heard, and honored.
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We believe that the foundation of our work is listening, especially to those whose voices are often unheard.
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We believe that our stories are most truly told not alone, but in open, patient, and skillful collaboration with one another.
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We believe that the work of faithful storytelling requires us and the communities we serve to remain open to personal change.
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We believe that the work of telling stories is sacred and must be marked by both scholarly and aesthetic honesty.
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We believe that the communities we serve and the histories we steward deserve an unwavering commitment to artistic excellence.
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We believe that the goal of storytelling is healing, and that our work is both animated by and accountable to that goal.
Our Projects
The national Memorial to the underground railroad
We are leading a consortium of local and national partners in the work of creating a national scale, landscape oriented, and network-based memorial to the Underground Railroad in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Center for public history at lincoln university
We are partnering with Lincoln University (HBCU) to create and sustain the Center for Public History, a research center devoted to convening scholars and students in the work of identifying, documenting, and archivally stewarding stories from African American history.
Star and Lantern
We are partnering with Square Roots Collective and the Creamery of Kennett Square, are providing scholarly and creative leadership toward the launching of Star & Lantern, a first of its kind cocktail bar and restaurant devoted to the African American foodways and the history of the Underground Railroad. For more information, please click the link below.
Underground Railroad Experiences
We partner with local and national artists and storytellers to create and host a series of experiences designed to offer creative encounters with the stories of the Underground Railroad to the members of our community. These experiences include the Chester County Juneteenth Festival, Freedom’s Table, Secret Suppers, and an Underground Railroad Heritage Tour.
