Many
accounts exist of the heroic efforts and admirable sacrifices made by the
Northern abolitionists who assisted those seeking freedom from bondage, and no
one doubts the significance of their contributions within the Underground
Railroad movement. What has been brought
into question by many historians, and where much historical revision is yet to
be accomplished, is a more substantial inclusion of African Americans into
their own history. Their struggle for
freedom did not happen passively, and did not begin with the abolitionist
movement, but was an act of resistance from the very beginning.
Beyond the few personal narratives
by slaves who gave accounts of their freedom from bondage, little is known
about the early history of resistance and efforts to escape. This lack of early documentation has led to a
profound misrepresentation in the historical record, which has mistakenly
presented the view that African Americans had a primarily passive role in their
own emancipation. Although attempts are
being made to amend this gap in history, there is still much work to be
accomplished in telling the entire story.
Jacqueline Tobin and Raymond G. Dobard, in Hidden in Plain View, describe some of the compelling methods of
African Americans resistance in their detailed analysis of the use of quilts
with secret coding patterns. The authors
also relate how the story of the Underground Railroad is also like a pattern to
be deciphered:
The story of the Underground Railroad is
a part of the much larger story of the personal and cultural survival of these
proud African people, brought to America against their will. It is a story of that spans the Atlantic,
linking forever the peoples of Africa and America. It is a story of places, North and
South. It is a story of secrets,
involving routes and language, codes and music.
It is in the end, a story of triumph and freedom, brought at great price
by individuals, cultures, and countries (54).
In order to decipher, or “decode” a
portion of this story, I found it necessary to interview an individual whose
knowledge and understanding might assist us in apprehending not only the
historical significance of the Underground Railroad in both local and more
general terms, but also guide us in attaining some knowledge of its continued
importance within the framework of cultural representation. I found an ideal informant in Dr. Veronica
Watson, who has provided crucial information and research advice throughout the
duration of this project. Without her
help, many aspects of this work would seem incomplete.
Interview with Dr. Veronica Watson
By: Carrie Aitkins
Veronica Watson is director of the
Frederick Douglass Institute for Intercultural Research and a professor in the
Department of English at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Her academic interests include: the
Literature of White Estrangement; African American literature and culture;
Critical Whiteness Studies; Twentieth Century American Fiction; and Slave
Narratives. She was also instrumental in
co-organizing with Dr. Chris Catalfamo a University Museum exhibit on the
Underground Railroad in Indiana County called Freedom in the Air, the exhibition catalogue of which is available
to view on this website.
CA: In your opinion, what is the continued significance of
the Underground Railroad History in Indiana?
VW: It's part of this region's
history, but few know of it. It's a legacy of people pursuing social and
racial justice, willing to sacrifice their mental, emotional and physical well-being,
if necessary, for the liberation of those who made it to this county.
It's a history of black self-determination and interracial support and
cooperation. I cannot help but imagine that if more people in Indiana
County knew and embraced this history, more might be willing to see continuing
challenges to equity and justice that exist in our community now.
CA: Within the history of the Underground
Railroad (not just in Indiana), do you think that it is possible to better
document the essential role which African Americans had in the creation of this
movement (which is essentially a resistance movement-- especially in contrast
to how much is known about the role of the abolitionists?
VW: First,
let me affirm that that's work that needs to be done. The story of the
Abolitionist Movement is still largely told as a story of white courage,
benevolence and agency. The truth is, however, that the large numbers of
black Americans who sought their own freedom--through escape, revolution, and
in-place modes of resistance--made the institution of slavery a contested issue
in this country. It was our agency and willingness to challenge the
system that made slavery a moral, ethical, social and political crisis in this
country. So that work absolutely needs to be done. White
Americans came later to the party, but those of the stories that we know, when
we know the stories at all. But to the question of is it possible to document the essential role of African
Americans, I'd have to say much of the groundwork has already been laid.
We have the narratives; know many of the names--both of individuals as well as
institutions--in 18th and 19th century black America that were critical in
sustaining the UGRR. The bigger problem is not in documenting the role,
but in making that role central to the history we teach, the figures we
celebrate, and the construction of the narrative of freedom in this country.
CA: Concerning the driving and guided tours of the Underground Railroad in Indiana, have you or anyone you know participated in these tours? Do you think that more could be done to educate both IUP students and local residents in regards to its history?
CA: Concerning the driving and guided tours of the Underground Railroad in Indiana, have you or anyone you know participated in these tours? Do you think that more could be done to educate both IUP students and local residents in regards to its history?
VW: No, I've never
participated in a driving or guided UGRR tour. Yes, more could be done,
especially at the elementary and middle school levels. But it's needed
even at the high school level so that we're not getting students in college who
really think that African Americans were freed because white Americans were
good enough to fight for their freedom.
Source
Cited
Watson,
Dr. Veronica. E-mail Interview. 31 Oct. 2013.
For more information about our informant, please visit her IUP webpage at:
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