9 minute read
Lincoln University
Lincoln
University to host major Underground
Railroad
Conference
Lincoln University, the nation’s oldest degree- historians, preservationists, independent scholars, social granting historically black university, is inviting the scientists, community leaders and undergraduate and public to join a conference on the Underground graduate students. The organizers are particularly interested Railroad. It will take place next spring at the main in paper proposals that focus on the Mid-Atlantic states of campus in Lower Oxford. Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and south-
The university’s Center for the Study of the ern New York. Underground Railroad and Voices Underground “We encourage individuals to submit proposals who — an organization focused on preserving and shar- are researching sites of memory, the role of HBCUs such ing the Underground Railroad’s story — will host as Lincoln University and Cheyney University, and the its inaugural conference: “Seeking Freedom: The importance of the free and enslaved African American comUnderground Railroad in the Mid-Atlantic.” munity through the end of the Civil War,” Muhammad said.
The three-day conference will be held Thursday The organizers are also seeking papers that explore through Saturday, March 31 to April 2, 2022. any or all the diverse complexities of the Underground
This is just one example of the many initiatives Railroad, including known and unknown physical sites Lincoln University has undertaken to achieve the (homes, corridors, routes) and those that extract the voices mission to reach out and share itself with the of the unheard, invisible and underrated. “We welcome community. research that demythologizes the story and memory of the
“Considering that the Mid-Atlantic was a major Underground Railroad,” Muhammad added. hub used to get enslaved Blacks to freedom, this The conference’s other convening committee members will be a historic conference,” said Dr. Nafeesa are Dr. Gregory Thompson, the executive director of Voices Muhammad, assistant professor of history at Lincoln Underground, an initiative to build a national memorial to University and a member of the convening commit- the Underground Railroad outside of Philadelphia; and Dr. tee. “As the first degree-granting historically black Paul Finkelman, the president of Gratz College, in Melrose college and university (HBCU) that was a physical Park, Pennsylvania, a widely published author who is a site of the Underground Railroad, it is exceptionally specialist on slavery, civil rights, race relations, and African interesting to be hosting this inaugural conference.” American history and has written extensively on Fugitive
The conference organizers recently released Slaves Laws and the relationship of slavery to the U.S. a call for papers, panels and roundtables to Constitution.
Courtesy photo by Lincoln University The original arch at the older entrance to the school celebrated its 100th anniversary this year. |CONNECTIONS| 14 v——Fall/Winter 2021• Volume 7——vThe Progression of Change in Adult and Continuing Education • The Progression of Change in Adult and Continuing Education
Photos by Chris Barber unless otherwise noted
Lincoln University president Brenda Allen, left, and Board of Trustees Chairman Teresa Braswell surround honorary degree recipient Emery Wimbish at graduation ceremonies in May 2021.
Conference registration fees will be $75 in-person, $50 virtual and $30 for students.
In an earlier related event, more than 800 people, including students and local residents, packed the University’s International Cultural Center on Oct. 30, 2019, for a sneak preview of “Harriet,” a film that depicts the life of Harriet Tubman, the legendary Underground Railroad ‘conductor.’
The film, which opened nationwide on Nov. 1, 2019, stars Cynthia Erivo in the title role, along with Janelle Monáe and Leslie Odom Jr.
“I wanted to see the entire representation of the story,” said Fabiola St. Luc, a Lincoln student studying biology from New Jersey. “At times, Hollywood doesn’t fully depict what truly happened in history. I wanted to see how they portrayed Harriet Tubman and the creators did really well and Cynthia Erivo embodied Harriet!”
Vivian Brown, a resident of Kennett Square, attended the film with friends. “This film was moving and impressive,” Brown said. “Last year, I had the opportunity to visit where Harriet [Tubman] lived in New York for a little while. This provided some context and insight into the film.”
The pre-screening was the first of many local events to be presented over the course of the year by Voices Underground (VU), a new local initiative launched by Lincoln University and the Square Roots Collective — a Kennett Square community organization. The organization is a collection of enterprises — for-profit businesses,
nonprofit ventures, formal and informal partnerships, and associations with like-minded organizations—united by their commitment to a thriving Kennett Square.
“Our goal was not only to remind community members of the power of Harriet Tubman’s life and the significance of the Underground Railroad in our community, but also to introduce the work of Voices Underground,” said Gregory Thompson, the executive director of Voices Underground.
“Voices Underground’s mission is to promote the African American cultural heritage of the Chester County area by creating a world-class public monument and ongoing creative programming in celebration of the Underground Railroad,” he added.
Lincoln University President Brenda A. Allen said the presentation of the film in partnership with Square Roots Collective was a sterling example of one of the University’s strategic plan goals: leveraging partnerships to contribute to the cultural life of the community.
Allen also noted that the town of Lincoln University, located just north of the Mason-Dixon Line, was likely a key stop on the Underground Railroad, making this evolving project with Voices Underground very exciting and relevant for Lincoln University today.
“It was terrific to have our students and community members sitting side-by-side experiencing this important, moving film,” she said. “In these troubling times, the undaunted courage that Harriet Tubman displayed again and again is a model for all of us to emulate.”
Lincoln University also spreads its talented arts and music culture beyond the campus.
The Lincoln University Concert Choir is one of the premier organizations on the campus of Lincoln University and
Lincoln University Marshal Dana Flint carries the mace and leads the academic procession into graduation in May 2021.
membership is open to all students in any major.
Its vocal prowess and penchant for maintaining the African American choral traditions in their music have allowed the choir to achieve a reputation of excellence on the regional, state, and national levels. The singers who make up this extraordinary choral ensemble hail from all corners of the globe and are pursuing degrees in a variety of academic disciplines.
The Lincoln University Concert Choir members serve as ambassadors for the university by building relationships with communities, touring extensively, and performing recruitment concerts at churches of all denominations and K-12 schools throughout the country. Some of the choir’s most recent tours have
New Lincoln graduates present their hoods signifying their achievement at the commencement ceremony 2019.
included performing in Los Angeles, California, Atlanta, Georgia, and its international debut in South Africa.
The choir has also been asked to sing the National Anthem at home games for
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The Progression of Change in Adult and Continuing Education
Lincoln University
sports teams including the Philadelphia Phillies and the Philadelphia Eagles. In 2019 and 2020, the choir was also invited to participate in the HBCU Choral Festival at Norfolk State University.
The Lincoln University Concert Choir encompasses some of the greatest talents on campus; including in its ranks are officers of the Student Government Association, the Lincoln University Royal Court, and members from the university’s athletic department.
Lincoln University reaches out to share its physical facilities in the community as well. One such group whose performances have been enhanced by the relationship with Lincoln is the Avon Grove Community Theater, which, until the pandemic hit last year, has performed musicals open to the public in the Ware theater – shows like “The Music Man” and “Thoroughly Modern Millie.”
The theater was built with the support of a grant from the U.S. Rep. John Ware Foundation and has state of the arts facilities for little-theater performances. When the theater is not engaged in its annual summer musicals, it is used for classroom instruction on campus.
Emery Wimbish, the former dean of the Langston Hughes Memorial Library and guardian of Hughes’s collection of books, greets the graduates upon his receipt of an honorary doctorate at commencement in May 2021.
Director of Corporate Relations & Strategic Partnerships Martin Harrison said building relationships between the university and the community is beneficial to both. The administration at Lincoln is well-represented on nearby boards and commissions as well, he added.
“Lincoln is an anomaly among black colleges and
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The Mary Dod Brown Chapel on campus was completed in 1980 and has an auditorium and fellowship hall.
The Ware Theater was made possible by a grant from the late U.S. Rep. John Ware who lived in and represented Oxford.
universities. Most of them are in the south and most of them reflect the communities around the campuses,” he said. “[At Lincoln] most of the student body does not reflect the surrounding community. There is sometimes a level of distrust from students from, say, Baltimore and Brooklyn. Sometimes outside the campus they feel like a fish out of water when they leave. Likewise, sometimes, the community doesn’t trust the students.
“There are some areas for us to grow and for the community to grow as well. But it has to be mutual. We have to tear down those barriers. That is our call and our mission,” he concluded.
Press releases courtesy of Lincoln University. Editorial copy by Contributing Writer Chris Barber.
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