First, there was the big question, which Deborah Willis and Barbara Krauthamer had been talking about for years: What does freedom look like? Then there was the small, somber face of Dolly, whose photograph the two women, both academics, had come across separately in their research and wondered about ever since. It was affixed to [...]
Nicki Minaj Doesn’t Fully Exercise Her ‘Freedom’
November 5, 2012 | Posted by
Fame is a funny thing, especially when it comes to someone with such obvious talent as Nicki Minaj, whose stardom seemed assured from the start. It was only a few years ago that the superstar rapper earned her ubiquity with a string of explosive, immediately identifiable cameos. With a whip-smart wit, fantastic verbal skills and [...]
‘Quilt Codes’ Helped Slaves Navigate the Underground Railroad to Freedom
October 8, 2012 | Posted by
It’s difficult to imagine the hardships that 19th century African American slaves endured traveling the Underground Railroad, risking their lives with hopes to one day be free. Of the many fascinating tactics they used along the way, the most visually striking is the secret codes that were sewn onto quilts and hung outside to give [...]
Ellen and William Craft Chose Smarts and Guile as Their Route to Freedom – Video
July 27, 2012 | Posted by
Say the words “slave revolt” and images of bloody confrontations waged with guns, machetes, and pitchforks come to mind. But the self-liberation of former slaves Ellen and William Craft shows that the route to freedom could also be paved with smarts and guile as opposed to bloodshed. Using her light-skinned hue to her advantage, Ellen, [...]
