The Underground Railroad History Project of the Capital Region is holding its 14th annual conference — Breaking Free: Civil War, Emancipation and Beyond — April 17-19, at Russell Sage College in Troy.
Workshops for educators, plenary sessions and cultural experiences take place throughout the three-day conference.
Henry Louis Taylor, a member of United University Professions and professor at University at Buffalo's Center for Urban Studies, will deliver the keynote — "From the Underground Railroad to the Fight Against Neoliberal Racism: The Long Struggle for Black Liberation" on Friday, April 17.
Other highlights include Alan Singer, a Hofstra University professor and retired United Federation of Teachers member, who will present on "Teaching About the African American Civil Rights Movement in the Age of Common Core, Social Studies" at the Rensselaer County Historical Society in Troy. The Sage Singers, re-enactor Robert Djead Snead and singer and actress Deborah Goss will perform. The conference concludes Sunday, April 19, with a bus tour of Underground Railroad sites in Albany and an open house at the historic home of African-American abolitionists Stephen and Harriet Myers.
The conference schedule, registration form and information about transportation and accommodations are available online at undergroundrailroadhistory.org or by calling 518-432-4432. Attendance certificates will be available for teachers needing verification of attendance.