Event
The Story of Josiah Henson: The Real Uncle Tom
Fee:
Free.Location:
This is a virtual event.Dates & Times
Date:
Time:
Duration:
Type of Event
This podcast will be released at 6:00am on Soundcloud, and will subsequently be released on iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Description
Thirty Days of Stories on the Underground Railroad is a series of podcasts series created in celebration of September as International Underground Railroad Month. The Oldham County History Center is celebrating by recording a podcast story on the Underground Railroad to broadcast each day of September.
The Story of Josiah Henson: The Real Uncle Tom is read by Melvin Diggs, III, Junior honors student majoring in history at Eastern Kentucky University and member of the 12th US Colored Heavy Artillery Regiment.
The term “Uncle Tom” from Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin became a stereotypical figure who was overeager to win the approval of whites - which is a far cry from the model of Josiah Henson upon whom Stowe based her novel. Josiah Henson received a brutal upbringing and was cheated of his manumission papers from his owner, Isaac Riley. Josiah fled with his wife and children from the Riley family in Owensboro, Kentucky, and made it to Canada where they established the Dawn Settlement School in Dresden, Canada for fugitives. Henson and Henry Bibb worked together for Black rights in Canada. Henson returned several times to the states to help more than 200 fugitives reach freedom.
More information
Reservation or Registration: No
Image Gallery
Oldham County History Center