West Virginia State University officially became a host institution for a Freedom Station on the National Underground Railroad program in September 2003. As a Freedom Station, WVSU’s mission is to educate the public about the global context of slavery and the historic struggle in West Virginia to abolish human enslavement, secure freedom and equal rights for people of all cultures, and promote dialogue in the ongoing struggle.
The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is a not-for-profit organization located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Freedom Center teaches lessons of courage and cooperation from Underground Railroad history to promote collaborative learning, dialogue and action in order to inspire today’s freedom movements. Contrary to its name, The Underground Railroad was neither underground nor a railroad but rather a series of safe havens for fugitive slaves as they risked their lives, prior to the Civil War, to pursue freedom. Fugitives traveled from the southern states that supported slavery to the northern U.S. and Canada. Some fled to Mexico and the islands of the Caribbean. Those who opened the hiding places in their homes to the slaves on their journey risked their social standing, loss of property, family, and their own freedom by breaking the law of that time.
The Freedom Station Program is an affiliations service for researchers and educators working to understand the history of the Underground Railroad, and working to apply the lessons of the history to modern day human relations efforts. The Freedom Stations Program offers access to tools and archives, opportunities for collaboration and a venue for ongoing discussion probing the themes of freedom and race in today’s society.
Visit the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center at http://www.freedomcenter.org/