Two Men in the Crossfire

2533 Kemper Lane,Cincinnati OH 45206

01 February, 2023

Description

Although part of a free state, antebellum Cincinnati was not friendly to abolitionists and African Americans. Begin Black History Month by considering the narratives of two men who made their ways to Cincinnati after being enslaved in the South. Newly free, James Bradley enrolled as a student at Lane Seminary, and Henry Bibb came to our city as a freedom seeker. We’ll also discuss the impact their stories had on Harriet Beecher Stowe when she wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Suggested reading: James Bradley, “A Brief Account of an Emancipated Slave, Written by Himself, at the Request of the Editor” (1834)Henry Bibb, Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb, An America Slave, Written by Himself (1849), Chapters IV and V2023 Theme: The Power of Voice In 2023 our Power of Voice discussion series will continue with all-new topics. As we did last year, well focus on moments in American history when eloquent voices arose, often from the margins, to address important issues, usually related to social justice, in culture and society. Harriet Beecher Stowe exemplifies the power of voice. During her eighteen years in Cincinnati (1832 -1850), she discovered her voice as a writer, and in 1851, she decided to devote it to the anti-slavery cause. Horrified by the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, she wrote to editor Gamaliel Bailey: “Up to this year I have always felt that I had no particular call to meddle with this subject [slavery], and I dreaded to expose even my own mind to the full force of its existing power. But I feel now that the time has come when even a woman or a child who can speak a word for freedom and humanity is bound to speak.” The result, of course, was Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the bestselling blockbuster that awakened many Northerners to the horrors of slavery and helped create the change of heart that would allow the Union to stand firm when the South seceded over slavery. We’ll study the writings of many authors from the 19th and 20th centuries to determine how they discovered their voices,the forms they chose for expressing their voices,the needs both personal and societal to which they put those expressions,the effects their work had,how we can develop and enlist our own voices in service of our own values.Discussion Format Discussions will take place on Zoom from 7:00 to 8:15 pm on the first Wednesday of each month February - May and September -December. The leader will again by Dr. John Getz, Professor Emeritus, Xavier University, either by himself or with a co-leader, depending on the topic. This series is sponsored by School Outfitters.