FreedomCon 2024: Workshops to inspire change

Thursday, January 11, 2024 - 20:16

The Enterprise file photo — Melissa Hale-Spencer

Mary Liz and Paul Stewart, shown here installing a sign in front of 174 Livingston Ave.in Albany, which describes the significance of the house where abolitionists Harriet and Stephen Myers lived in the 1850s, founded the Underground Railroad Education Center and are now launching a workshop series: FreedomCon2024.

ALBANY COUNTY — The Underground Railroad Education Center is looking to inspire change-makers with a series of online workshops.
“FreedomCon 2024: Agents of Change, Voices of Freedom” will feature monthly presentations every fourth Saturday from January to October, via Zoom, from 2 to 3 p.m.

The series “will provide a platform for meaningful discussions, insights into the struggles and triumphs of those who fought for freedom, and inspire participants to become agents of positive change in their communities,” according to an announcement from the center.

The husband-and-wife team who founded the center had this to say about the new program.

“By bringing together experts, educators, and community members, we aim to foster a deeper understanding of this critical chapter in our nation’s history and inspire a new generation of change-makers,” said Mary Liz Stewart.

“In our increasingly polarized society, the symbol of the 19th-Century Underground Railroad movement and its abolition activists challenge us to publicly reflect and act upon the legacy of the institution of slavery and the legacy of the Underground Railroad movement in our contemporary times,” said Paul Stewart.

The series is open to the public, and participants may register for each monthly session on the Underground Railroad Education Center website. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in question-and-answer sessions, connect with like-minded individuals, and access additional resources to further their knowledge.

— Melissa Hale-Spencer

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