The Underground Railroad Consortium of New York State has announced the formation of a statewide committee to begin planning for the bicentennial of the legal abolition of slavery in New York, which finally took effect on July 4, 1827, following what was called “gradual emancipation” that began nearly 30 years before.
The program, Freedom 2027: New York State’s Abolition Bicentennial, will commemorate the two hundredth anniversary of the end of enslavement in the state. The movement to end slavery brought together free blacks, freedom seekers, and abolitionists. The initiative also will celebrate the resilience and contributions of Black Americans to the development of New York and recognize that the fight for full freedom and equality is not over.
The Underground Railroad Consortium of New York State (URCNYS) was founded in 2015 to research and promote the history of the Underground Railroad. Members come from sites around New York that were outposts of Underground Railroad activity. More information can be found on their website.
Thank you for this information. Kudos to the Underground Railroad Consortium of New York State for taking a leadership role. Readers should be aware that prior to coronavirus, there already was legislation written to create a “Freedom Bicentennial Commission” for 1827. I am familiar with this proposed legislation since I suggested it to State Senator Mayer and helped write it. We mentioned it together last December to teachers at the annual conference of the Lower Hudson Social Studies conference. My last contact with the Senator Mayer was in late February when I was in Albany. At that point passing the budget had priority and I did not press the issue. Since then of course, everything has changed. I did forward to her the press release by Underground Railroad Consortium of New York State and she responded to me so she is aware of the initiative. I first wrote about this topic in June 2016 Forgetting July 4, 1827 in my blog on the State of New York State History and am optimistic that something will finally happen.