North Star Day, Peace Bridge Lighting Highlight Underground Railroad Month
Dewitt Lee, chairman of the US/Canadian Underground Railroad Month Committee
Caretakers of our Culture and the US/Canadian Under ground Railroad Month Committee has grown International Underground Railroad Month commemoration even bigger this year across Erie, Niagara County, along with Fort Erie and Niagara Falls, Canada. All thanks to proclamations from Majority Leader Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes, Minority Leader Jeffrey Elder of Niagara Falls and many others expected from other elected officials, this year will be the biggest ever, with events across the region, including a historical lighting of the Peace Bridge for International Underground Railroad Month.
All are welcome to join the 4th annual North Star Day Sunday Service on Sept. 27th at 11 am at Durham Memorial A.M.E. Zion church, 200 E. Eagle St., Buffalo, NY, pastored by Reverend Michael Bell, with guest speaker Dewitt Lee III, the annual North Star Day UGRR award presentations, and a community ceremonial North Star walk to Freedom to the Michigan St. Baptist Church.
Once arriving, we have something especially exciting and empowering for the youth. In partnership with the Michigan St. Baptist Church, located at 511 Michigan Ave, Buffalo, NY, beginning at 2 pm until 3 p.m., the church doors will be open for a tour of the historically recognized Underground Railroad Site and the launch of the Underground Railroad Jr Conductors program, which will train youth from 10 to 17 years old over a period of time in the history of the Underground Railroad, the songs, signs and stories that have made the network so successful in helping freedom seekers across the USA find a new life in Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
Because this Sunday is North Star Day, the youth will be instructed in how freedom seekers were able to read the constellations and use the North Star to self-emancipate themselves by making it to Canada. If you would like to register your child or children, please email or phone undergroundrailroadmonth@gmail.com or call 716-349-7809.
Save the date on your calendars for Sept. 29th, which is when the Peace Bridge will be lit up White and Yellow(the color of the North Star) in honor of International Underground Railroad Month for the 1st time ever and will mark the North Star Day celebration in Fort Erie, Canada, which will consist of a Walk across the Peace Bridge from Canada into the U.S.A. to mark the Sankofa Journey of conductors, who went back to “get” those still enslaved in America.
For full details on all the events and engagements, visit the social media websites at facebook.com/underground railroadmonth instagram. com/undergroundrailroad month or call Dewitt Lee, chairman of the US/Canadian Underground Railroad Month Committee at 716-349-7809.