Join us on Zoom for a series of six virtual presentations in January & February 2024.
FEBRUARY 21: The Borderland: Black Agency and Resistance Between Two Nations by Josh Poole
Western New York played a crucial role on the “Underground Railroad” network in assisting freedom seekers to Canada. While one may hear about Harriet Tubman’s trips ending in the North or enslaved people making it to the “promised land,” it is not entirely told what freedom seekers experienced on the last leg of their journey. In this presentation, Josh Poole will address the agency of freedom seekers, as well as the free Black waiters of the Cataract House who pioneered the anti-slavery movement on this borderland. He will also give insight into how formerly enslaved people grappled with their new lives, their past traumas, and an alternating world in Canada.
Joshua Poole, a Western New York Native, graduated from SUNY Geneseo with a BA in History. His senior thesis focuses on the history of communication networks amongst enslaved people. Josh applies his research now at the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center where he works as a Visitor Experience Specialist and the Operations Specialist. Josh also works on many other initiatives, including researching free Black communities in New York and their role in anti-slavery efforts for the New York State Underground Railroad & Harriet Tubman Corridor.
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