joining Evanston History Center for a firsthand presentation by Connie Martin. Building on her own family history, Martin recounts her enslaved relatives who were captured in West Africa and survived the Middle Sea Route. Martin’s presentation highlighted the story of her family’s secrets, codes, and escape routes for runaway slaves from the South to the North, revealed in an informative Family Bible dated 1865. increase. Martin’s historical presentation is a multimedia experience that includes PowerPoint slides, her presentation storytelling, and beautifully handcrafted quilt replicas showcasing more than a dozen of her pieces. Each of these was sewn by Connie’s mother especially for this presentation, and includes patterns and special stitches used by abolitionists and runaway slaves to mark escape routes to the north more than 300 years ago. represents. Martin shows how the quilt informs plans, warns of danger, shows how transportation works, and who helps as “friends” of the Underground Railroad. Based on Martin’s mother’s book, Lizzie’s Story: A Slave Family’s Journey to Freedom by Dr. Clarice Boswell, Martin’s presentation describes how these quilts her code was maintained and used by Martin’s ancestors. Unveils the story of a fascinating family named Taka. Learn the meaning and interpretation of the code inherited by Martin, a sixth-generation descendant of captive African slaves.
Seating is limited and advance registration is required.
https://evanstonhistorycenter….
Admission: $10 (payable online). EHC members are free.
Tickets are non-refundable.
Connie Martin has been named an Illinois Humanities Road Scholar for 2021-2022. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University and her master’s degree from Aurora University with her dissertation on integrating African-American history classes into the educational curriculum. Retired language teacher, MOVE international fitness convention co-owner, fitness convention presenter, star fitness instructor of 33 years, mother of 3 sons.She delights in passing on secret codes and hidden messages to her family’s quilt her ancestors shared on the Underground Railroad.Connie seductively holds her auof Deens As her mother has done with this family presentation over the years, it has gotten a lot of attention. Connie’s mother, Clarice Boswell, wrote the book Lizzie’s Story: A Slave Family’s Journey to Freedom, after which she created and published this family presentation for 16 years.
