News Release

National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom introduces “Questioning Conversations” video series

Questioning Conversation image

News Release Date: July 20, 2023

Church Creek, Md. – Today, in celebration of its 25th anniversary tomorrow, the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program released the first four videos on the new series Questioning Conversations. The remainder of the series will be released over the next twelve months. This inviting and inclusive video series, created through a cooperative agreement with the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, captures conversations by scholars of Underground Railroad history with diverse culture creators.  

Administered by the US National Park Service, the Network to Freedom recognizes nearly 700 places with confirmed Underground Railroad and self-liberation sites. Freedom seekers and their allies, together with a fascinating range of diverse Americans, not only freed individuals, but also worked to ensure that Americans had the right to self-determination and freedom from oppression. Videos may be found at http://www.nps.gov/ugrr. 

The way we talk about the past has a powerful and creative effect on how we understand the present. Each episode of Questioning Conversations features a scholar, who describes newly uncovered histories connected to the Underground Railroad. These discoveries are so fresh that they do not appear in textbooks. Scholars featured in the series, including Harvard’s Dr. Tiya Miles and Cornell’s Dr. Derrick Spires, continue to find and study documents and stories from archives throughout the country. These videos will also bring to light the hard work of uncovering such buried, even hidden, facts from the past. Commentators respond by sharing their related experiences and expertise.  

Questioning Conversations honors the wisdom that all people bring to historical inquiry. Discussions with well-known figures such as the musical duo The War and Treaty and the comedian Josh Johnson draw in broad new audiences so that they too may learn and engage with this important chapter of American history.  

Since the video series is aimed at young and diverse audiences, high school seniors from Oak Park River Forest High School in Oak Park, Illinois served as beta-testers. Videographer Joshua Harris of 630 Visions incorporated their feedback into the final edits. Flint, Michigan-based musician Feimstro composed and performed the music used in the series. 

Tomorrow, the Network to Freedom celebrates its Silver Jubilee with an event from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center in Church Creek, Maryland. July 21 marks the 25th anniversary of President Bill Clinton signing the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Act into law. 

“Questioning Conversations explains why Underground Railroad history continues to inspire people worldwide,” said National Program Manager Diane Miller. “The series creates a space where people can explore the complex legacy of the Underground Railroad in ways they might not have done before.” 

Dr. Anna-Lisa Cox, Historian and Project Manager, hopes that a young diverse audience will feel welcomed to learn more about newly created and little-known National Park Service sites through this video series. “The Underground Railroad is so much more than hidey holes in attics,” said Dr. Cox. 

Questioning Conversations covers freedom sites from Nantucket to Maui. “Few are aware that the people of Hawaii welcomed freedom seekers as early as the 1810s, or that African American freedom seekers published their writings to advance the cause of liberty long before Frederick Douglass was born,” adds Dr. Cox. 

Every two months, the Network to Program will release a new episode in the series. The videos will be free and open source for all to view and use. To watch the premiere, please visit the Network to Freedom’s website. 

As Dr. Carter G. Woodson, founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, said in his 1933 book The Mis-Education of the Negro, “Real education means to inspire people to live more abundantly, to learn to begin with life as they find it and make it better." 

Administered by the National Park Service, the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom serves to honor, preserve, and promote the history of resistance to enslavement through escape and flight, which continues to inspire people worldwide. The Network currently represents nearly 700 locations in 39 states, including Hawaii, as well as Washington D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Network to Freedom helps to advance the idea that all human beings have the right to self-determination and freedom from oppression.    

Established on September 9, 1915 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH®) are the Founders of Black History Month and carry forth the work of our founder, the Father of Black History. ASALH’s mission is to create and disseminate knowledge about Black History. 

  https://www.nps.gov/ugrr