African American Life in Washington, DC, Before Emancipation
African American Life in Washington, DC, Before Emancipation As Washington became the focus of abolitionism before the Civil War, antislavery activists argued that the sight of slavery and slave dealers in the nation’s capital disgraced the nation and its ideals. A panel will explore life before the 1862 Compensated Emancipation Act and discuss the “Slavery and Freedom” exhibit at the Smithsonian’s new National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). Moderated by John W. Franklin of the NMAAHC, panelists include Mark Auslander, Central Washington University; Maurice Jackson, Georgetown University; and NMAAHC curators Nancy Bercaw and Mary Elliott. Presented in partnership with NMAAHC, the DC Commission of African American Affairs, and the DC Commission on Emancipation.
