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Oberlin-Wellington Rescue Anniversary Celebration Sharon Pearson, City of Oberlin 9/5/08 -- Phone: 440-775-7217 Friday, September 12 and Saturday, September 13 OBERLIN, OHIO— To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Oberlin-Wellington Rescue, a free, public celebration will be held Friday, September 12 and Saturday, September 13 for residents of Oberlin, Wellington, and the surrounding area. A ticketed event – documentary and dinner – on Friday will be followed by a free program Saturday on Tappan Square. “The rescue of freedom seeker John Price from slave catchers on September 13, 1858, was arguably the most important town-gown collaboration on behalf of social justice in Oberlin’s 175-year history,” says Coordinator Sharon Pearson.
“We wish to commemorate this event by holding a public celebration in Oberlin September 12 & 13, 2008. This celebration will testify to our great pride in our interracial antislavery heritage while recognizing that our community—like the nation at large—suffers from troubling racial divisions and racism in the present day.
“A festive town-gown gathering will provide both a joyful opportunity to renew our commitment to social justice and an opening for fresh dialogue among ourselves about how better to put progressive ideals into practice on a daily basis. We welcome residents of Wellington and other communities to join Oberlinians on this occasion.”
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 On Friday, September 12, The Friends of Oberlin Underground Railroad Center will present a documentary titled John Price: A Symbol for Consciousness at the House of Zion Fellowship Center located at 81 Locust Street in Oberlin. Scheduled from 6-8 p.m., the event includes dinner, sourced by local farmers, discussion and fellowship. This film, mainly set in Oberlin, looks back 150 years ago to the rescue of John Price, a fugitive slave, and other notable blacks of the time. It previews the contemporary black experience with antebellum conditions of slaves. It highlights what grassroots communities are doing to change the conditions in their towns. Cost for the screening and dinner is $15.00 per person or $110 per table (seats 8). Tickets are on sale now! For more information, call 440.774.6968 or 44.506.0324. All proceeds from this event will go to benefit community development initiatives of Friends of the Oberlin Underground Railroad Center, Inc. It is sponsored by Friends of Oberlin Underground Railroad Center, New Agrarian Center, Wal-Mart, Lorain National Bank, and Less Productions. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13: all events are free Emcees for the Saturday event, which includes a free community lunch, will be Oberlin residents George Abrams and Jaquita Willis. The program will kickoff with welcoming speeches by the mayors of both communities and the Oberlin College president. Activities will include vocal and dance performances, orations by high school students about the legacy of the Oberlin-Wellington Rescue, conversation, art activities, and a presentation to the descendants of the rescuers. Participants are asked to bring lawn chair and blankets for seating on Tappan Square. Rain location: Oberlin Inn Covered Patio. The September 13 events are sponsored by the City of Oberlin, First Church, United Church of Christ, Main Street Oberlin, Inc., Oberlin African-American Genealogy and History Group, Oberlin Area Chamber of Commerce, Oberlin Choristers, Oberlin College (including the College Archives, Comparative American Studies Program, Department of African American Studies, Department of History, Multicultural Resource Center, Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences, and Office of the President), Oberlin Heritage Center, Oberlin-Wellington Rescue Coalition, Ohio Humanities Council, Village of Wellington, Friends of Oberlin Underground Railroad Center, and private donors.
Saturday, September 13 schedule
Oberlin-Wellington Rescue 150th Anniversary Public Celebration September 13, 2008, Tappan Square Morning MC: Jaqui Willis 9:30 a.m. Blessings Rev. Lea Mahan, Wellington First United Methodist Church Rev. A.G. Miller, Oberlin House of the Lord Pastor David Hill, First Church UCC Oberlin 9:45 a.m. Welcomes Barbara O'Keefe, Mayor of Wellington David Sonner, Mayor of Oberlin/City Council President Marvin Krislov, President of Oberlin College 10:00 a.m. Musical Presentation - Judy Cook Children's Activities Begin – supervised by volunteers from Oberlin Heritage Center, FAVA, Allen Memorial Art Museum, America Reads 10:10 a.m. Rescue History & Special Recognitions - Carol Lasser and Phyllis Yarber Hogan 10:35 a.m. Providing Sanctuary, 1858 - 2008 - Steve Volk 10:45 a.m. Musical Presentation - Oberlin Choristers 11:00 a.m. Reading of Charles Langston's Speech - George Abram 11:15 a.m. Musical Presentation - Judy Cook Afternoon MC: George Abram 11:25 a.m. Readings from The Rescuer - Oberlin Heritage Center Living History Group 11:45 a.m. Free Community Lunch Lunch Blessing - Pastor Anthoni McElrath, Mt. Zion Baptist Church Musical Presentation - Judy Cook North Star Sponsors Recognition 12:45 p.m. Dance Performance – Dance Diaspora 1:00 p.m. Original Poem - Meeko Israel 1:15 p.m. Musical Presentation – Rust Methodist Church Choir 1:30 p.m. Rescuers' Descendants Honored - Phyllis Yarber Hogan 1:50 p.m. Singing of "Lift Every Voice & Sing" led by Jessie Reeder 2:00 p.m. Door Prize Giveaways – must be present to win Wellington-Oberlin Rescue History On the morning of September 13, 1858, two Kentuckians, supported by a federal marshal and his assistant, captured John Price, an escaped slave who had resided in Oberlin for about two years. The slave catchers took him to Wellington with plans to send him back south on the afternoon train. News of Price’s capture spread quickly, however, and the Oberlin community promptly mobilized. Blacks and whites, college students, faculty, and townspeople raced to Wellington to block the slave catchers’ plans. Wellingtonians joined the effort, and using force -- but without shedding blood -- the Rescuers succeeded in recovering Price, who later made his way to freedom in Canada. Thirty-seven Rescuers were subsequently indicted and jailed for allegedly violating the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Two were convicted in federal court before a deal was struck for the release of all the Rescuers in return for Lorain County’s agreement to drop kidnapping charges against the slave catchers. The Rescuers’ bold defiance of federal law in the name of human rights attracted nationwide attention and generated political controversy in both the North and the South. Oberlin’s reputation as “the town that started the Civil War” stems from the Oberlin-Wellington Rescue and its role in exacerbating sectional tensions 'over slavery.
Read more about the rescue that took place September 13, 1858, at http://www.oberlin.edu/external/EOG/Oberlin-Wellington_Rescue/rescuemain2.htm |
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