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Border state Kentucky was a house divided, with adamant defenders of slavery and equally adamant proponents of liberation. In Augusta, on the banks of the Ohio River, a microcosm of this divide played out as the nation moved toward Civil War. Augusta College, chartered in 1822, would stand squarely with those who favored the abolition of slavery. Some of those affiliated with the college and with the town’s founding were active conductors for the Underground Railroad. Augusta also produced powerful voices for freedom among its Black citizens, including former slave Sarah Thomas. Three historians whose research has taken them deeply into the story of American race relations will discuss the importance of what took place in Augusta in the larger context of America’s struggle for freedom and Kentucky’s role in that struggle. They’ll do so in the restored Echo Hall, which was a dormitory for Augusta College. This Six@Six will open with an original dance, created and choreographed by NKU’s dance program and interpreting the Augusta story. Our speakers: David Childs, Ph.D. NKU professor, Social Studies, Education and History; Eric Jackson, Ed.D., NKU professor, History; Alicestyne Turley, Ph.D., director, the Freedom Stories Project. Moderator: Adelia Clooney Zeidler Co-hosted by the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

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