PITTSBURGH — Guests entering the “Slavery to Freedom" exhibit at the Heinz History Center will walk through a massive shackle and see items such as whips and chains.
“To explain all of the different intricacies of American history around slavery, it’s not an easy story,” said Samuel Black.
Black is the program’s director. He said the area was often caught in the middle when it came to slavery: Pennsylvania was a northern state, but it shared a border with the south. In an urban area like Pittsburgh, keeping the Underground Railroad a secret was a challenge.
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“You would try to change people appearances so they could sort of fit into the population,” Black said.
Congress passed a law in 1850 requiring all Americans to report runaway slaves.
“By 1852, Allegheny County lost 50% of its black population," he said.
And even after slavery was abolished, many people were still trapped.
“It was against the law for two or more black men to congregate in one area, so you could be arrested,” said Black.
Museum leaders hope the exhibit will help the conversation about how slavery manifests itself in the 21st century.
Watch the video below for the full interview with Samuel Black!
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