Tuesday, September 8 from 1:30-3:00 p.m.
Note: This event is on a Tuesday, not our usual Thursday lecture time
In-Person at Oakwood Village University Woods
Arts & Education Center
6205 Mineral Point Road
Registration is Not Required
FREE PARKING
Discover the hidden messages of the Underground Railroad through history and song. Join storyteller Connie Martin for a moving presentation that brings to life the courageous journeys of freedom seekers escaping slavery between 1850 and 1865. Through powerful Negro spirituals, Connie reveals how these songs carried secret messages that warned of danger and guided people along the Underground Railroad to freedom in Canada.
A sixth-generation descendant of enslaved Americans, she also shares remarkable stories preserved in her family's Bible from the 1850s, uncovering the lives of abolitionists and the secret escape routes that led from Kentucky through Illinois. Combining unforgettable music with compelling history, this inspiring program offers a deeply personal look at one of America's most extraordinary stories of courage, hope, and resilience.
Connie’s mother, Dr. Clarice Boswell, wrote a book, Lizzie’s Story: A Slave Family’s Journey to Freedom, which forms the foundation of her presentation.
Connie Martin is a retired middle school Language Arts teacher of 32 years, a 35-year Aqua Fitness Master Trainer, senior Fitness Instructor, mother, and G-Ma to four grandkids. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Illinois State University where her thesis was on Integrating African American History in Educational Curriculums.
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Transportation Options:
Bicycle: Bike racks are available
Bus: The BRT Route A bus runs every 15 minutes and stops in front of Oakwood at the Island/Mineral Point station.
Car:
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Use the Island Drive entrance at 6205 Mineral Point Road.
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Veer left and follow the drive to the 2nd driveway with sign “Heritage Oaks Parking Garage.”
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Turn right into driveway.
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Press the buzzer and the Oakwood desk attendant will buzz you in. There are 70 parking stalls. Park in any visitor or non-reserved stall. Take the elevator up one floor to the main entrance, turn right and walk through the mail box area into the lobby. Ask at the desk for directions to the Performing Arts Center.
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When you exit the underground parking, the garage door opens automatically.
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Questions? Contact lecture organizer Barbara Drake at barbaradrake21@gmail.com
