Take a look at the printed program, the statewide map, the commemorative stamp petition, and the State of Illinois Underground Railroad Task Force final report. These were all shared at the event.
“Where do we go from here?” at Illinois College, Jacksonville, Illinois, March 28-29, 2025
Session 1 — Friday 7 pm — video of session 1
Brittney Yancy, Freedom Corridor and Illinois College (conference chair)
WELCOMES
Catherine O’Connell, Provost, Illinois College
Richard J. Durbin, U.S. Senator (by video)
Gerald McWorter/Abdul Alkalimat, Freedom Corridor, New Philadelphia Association, and University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Brian K. Mitchell, Freedom Corridor, New Philadelphia Association, and Independent Historian
PERFORMANCE
CBC Praise featuring Tiffany and Sydney Williams
Session 2 — Saturday 9-10:30 — video of sessions 2 through 5
The Underground Railroad: State of the State
WELCOMES
Brittney Yancy, Freedom Corridor, New Philadelphia Association, and Illinois College
Catherine O’Connell, Provost, Illinois College
Richard J. Durbin, U.S. Senator (by video)
Gerald McWorter/Abdul Alkalimat, Freedom Corridor, New Philadelphia Association, and University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
Art Wilson, Freedom Corridor, Jacksonville African American History Museum and Woodlawn Farm/Morgan County Underground Railroad Committee
Owen Muelder, Underground Railroad Freedom Station at Knox College
Kate Williams-McWorter, Freedom Corridor, New Philadelphia Association, and University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
Larry A. McClellan, Midwest Underground Railroad Network and Governors State University (chair)
Session 3 — Saturday 10:45-Noon — video of sessions 2 through 5
New Philadelphia Association 2.0
Kaye Iftner, New Philadelphia Association (President), Pike County Endowment Fund, Illinois Master Naturalist
Mark Philpot, New Philadelphia Association, Quincy Park District, and Adams County Public Defender’s Office
Diana Stroud, New Philadelphia Association and University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
Mei-Ling McWorter Leonard, New Philadelphia Association and St. James’ Episcopal School, Los Angeles (chair)
Session 4 — Saturday 12:15-1:00 — video of sessions 2 through 5
Freedom Corridor Town Hall
Jenny Barker-Devine, Illinois College (facilitator)
Session 5 — Saturday 1:15-2:30 — video of sessions 2 through 5
The State of Black Studies
Valerie Grim, Indiana University-Bloomington
Gerald McWorter/Abdul Alkalimat, Freedom Corridor, New Philadelphia Association, and University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
Brian K. Mitchell, Freedom Corridor, New Philadelphia Association, and Independent Historian
Brittney Yancy, Freedom Corridor, New Philadelphia Association, and Illinois College (chair)
Session 6 — Saturday 2:45-4:00 — video of session 6
Teaching the UGRR and Freedom Seeking
David Harbin, John Wood Community College (Quincy)
Chad Boehlke, Prairieland Chautauqua (Springfield)
Erica T. Austin, Springfield Public Schools District 186 and the Illinois Freedom Project
Joe Brewer, Beardstown Community Unified School District 15 (chair)
BRIEF CLOSING
Gerald McWorter/Abdul Alkalimat, Freedom Corridor, New Philadelphia Association, and University of Illinois Urbana Champaign