GDG- Lincoln's Era: The Role of Religion in the Underground Railroad

[Dennis Lawrence]

3.  CFP: Lincoln's Era: The Role of Religion in 
the Underground Railroad (Cincinnati: Nov.6-8, 2008)

From: "Braziel, Jana (brazieje)" <brazieje at UCMAIL.UC.EDU>
Date: Fri, 23 May 2008 09:11:09 -0400

CALL FOR PAPERS
7th Annual National Conference on the Underground 
Railroad <http://www.freedomcenter.org/>

Lincoln's Era
The Role of Religion in the Underground Railroad 
November 6-8, 2008 / Cincinnati, Ohio

Coinciding with the Lincoln Bicentennial and the 
opening of "Lincoln: The Constitution and the 
Civil War" (exhibit created by the National 
Constitution Center), the conference will explore 
the roles of religion and people of faith working 
against the institution of slavery during the 
1800s, as well as the provocative debate over 
Lincoln and racism.  The conference also 
foregrounds the roles of faith in the 
anti-slavery movement with a special focus on 
Abraham Lincoln's evolution and Christian, 
Islamic, and Jewish anti-slavery advocates.

Conference Highlights

Ø            Talks by prominent theologians (Rabbi Gary Zola) and scholars
(Lerone Bennett, Jr., Harold Holzer, and Roger Billings);

Ø            Panels on religion, faith, slavery, and abolitionism;

Ø            Panels on Lincoln's evolving views on slavery, race, and
racism;

Ø            Genealogy research at the Freedom Center;

Ø            Spirituals concert;

Ø            Interfaith service and historical re-enactment of services from
the era;

Ø            Bus tours of historic faith sites on the Underground Railroad.


Break-Out Sessions on the following topics:

Ø            Runaways and Cincinnati Churches

Ø            Antislavery Literatures

Ø            Spirituals and the Underground Railroad

Ø            Lincoln's Spiritual Journey to Abolitionism

Who should attend: Religious Leaders, Lay 
Members, as well as Academic and Non-Academic Scholars, and Students

Cost: Participants can attend the entire conference or individual events.
Registration for the entire conference, except 
for the bus trips, is $150 per person. 
Registration includes membership to the National 
Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

Individual Events: Tickets for individual 
activities can be purchased in advance beginning 
September 1: Thursday morning faith tours, 
Thursday night keynote address, Friday luncheon speaker, or spirituals concert.

Call for Papers: The conference committee invites 
scholars, faith leaders and activists from all 
disciplines to make presentations in Cincinnati 
on the role of faith or religion in the spread of 
anti-slavery activism in the 1800s and the 
lessons for today for cooperation across the faith divide.

The Freedom Center and NKU support and value all 
scholarship examining the history and lives of 
peoples involved in the Underground Railroad movement.
Deadline for submissions is July 31, 
2008.  Please submit 250 word abstracts or paper 
proposals electronically to Academic Program Chair:

Dr. Eric R. Jackson
Northern Kentucky University
Department of History and Geography
Highland Heights, Kentucky, 41099
jacksoner at nku.edu

For more information on the conference, contact Ernest Britton at
513-333-7511 or ebritton at freedomcenter.org; or visit the Freedom Center
website: http://www.freedomcenter.org/events/

Sponsored by Northern Kentucky University and the 
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center with 
additional support from the Jacob Rader Marcus 
Center of the American Jewish Archives at Hebrew 
Union College, Ebenezer Second Baptist Church, 
Christ Church Cathedral, and the University of Cincinnati.

Jana Braziel
<brazieje at UCMAIL.UC.EDU>