Historians and community leaders connect city’s fight against slavery to today’s struggle for equality
UTICA, N.Y. — The courage of ordinary Black residents who risked their freedom to help others escape slavery took center stage as Utica commemorated the 191st anniversary of its historic abolition movement Wednesday, Oct. 21, at Hope Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church.
The celebration brought together historians, authors and community leaders to recognize Utica’s important role in the Underground Railroad and examine the continuing struggle for justice and equality.
Dr. Jan DeAmicis, professor emeritus at Utica University and co-chair of the Oneida County Freedom Trail Commission, delivered a historical presentation highlighting the African American community’s contributions to the abolition movement.
Photo supplied with the press release by LaGuerre Media.
DeAmicis described how a relatively small, working-class Black population became an essential part of the Underground Railroad. Many residents lived along Post Street, near the Erie Canal, where they provided shelter, assistance and safe passage to people escaping enslavement.
He explained that the neighborhood’s importance has earned recognition from the National Park Service as an Underground Railroad site.
One of his most compelling accounts involved the Utica Rescue of 1836, when Black residents confronted slave catchers and helped free two men, Harry Bird and George, who faced being returned to enslavement.
Using historical records and accounts from abolitionist Jermain Loguen, DeAmicis described how determined residents intervened to secure the men’s freedom despite the danger of arrest and prosecution.
Their actions demonstrated that the abolition movement depended not only on prominent national leaders but also on ordinary people willing to challenge injustice.
The program also featured author and abolition history researcher Deirdre Sinnott, whose novel The Third Mrs. Galway explores slavery, resistance and moral courage in Utica during the 1830s.
Dr. Clemmie L. Harris, a professor at Utica University whose work examines African American history and systemic inequality, was also among the featured participants.
The observance included a panel discussion, “Different Barriers, Shared…”, bringing historical lessons into a contemporary conversation about challenges facing communities today.
Panel participants included Sonia Martinez of MVLA, Hawa Peters, founder and executive director of Utica Royalties, and Mecca Ervin. The discussion connected historical struggles for freedom and opportunity with present-day community experiences.
Photo supplied with the press release by LaGuerre Media.
The gathering commemorated events of Oct. 21, 1835, when an angry mob disrupted an anti-slavery convention in Utica. Undeterred, abolitionists continued their work the following day in Peterboro, helping establish the New York State Anti-Slavery Society.
The observance was especially meaningful at Hope Chapel, one of the Mohawk Valley’s most historic African American churches, founded in 1848 and long connected to abolitionism, faith and civil rights advocacy.
The Oneida County Freedom Trail Commission continues to preserve and share the region’s Underground Railroad history through research, historical markers and educational walking tours.
Photo supplied with the press release by LaGuerre Media.
The celebration reinforced a central message: Utica’s Black history is not simply a story of suffering, but one of courage, leadership and the determination of ordinary people to advance freedom.
