THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER
By Mark Curnute
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| These bronze statues on display at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center represent the early period of African slaves being brought to what would become the United States. This year marks the 400th anniversary of enslaved Africans being brought against their will to the British colonies at Jamestown, Virginia. |
Cincinnati's 44th annual celebration of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day national holiday on Monday coincides with a significant anniversary. This year marks the 400th anniversary of enslaved Africans being brought to the British colonies in Jamestown, Virginia. The theme of the commemoration at Music Hall is "400 Years of Enslavement: It Stops with Us." Between 1525 and 1866, 12.5 million people were stolen from Africa. The treacherous journey from West Africa to the West Indies or the Americas, known as the Middle Passage, claimed 1.8 million lives. About 388,000 enslaved Africans were shipped directly to North America. The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center will mark the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with a day of events, starting with the 2019 King Legacy Awards Breakfast at 8 a.m. The keynote speaker is Holly Y. McGee, assistant professor of history at the University of Cincinnati. [
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| Carl Westmoreland, the senior historian at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. |
