By Patricia Thrushart, Cofounder, Poets Against Racism & Hate USA
“History repeats itself.” We’ve all heard this adage, along with Winston Churchill’s warning that “those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Spanish philosopher George Santayana is usually given credit for another version of this aphorism: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” These quotes remind us that both remembering and then learning from the past are important. As Ibram X. Kendi wrote in his remarkable book Four Hundred Souls, “When we are creating a shared history, what we remember is just as revelatory as what we forget.”
This dynamic—remembering and learning—is at the heart of the mission embraced by the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. “To pursue inclusive freedom by promoting social justice for all,” it says, “building on the principles of the Underground Railroad.” In short, the Freedom Center helps its visitors both remember and learn from the history of the Underground Railroad. Opened in 2004, the Freedom Center has established itself as a premier national institution, winning USA Today’s top spot on its list of the ten best history museums in the US.
On April 30, I was honored to represent Poets Against Racism & Hate USA as part of the museum’s Freedom Circle reading series associated with the museum’s bookstore. I was there to read poetry from Inspired by Their Voices: Poetry from Underground Railroad Testimonies. Reading one’s poetry anywhere can be both exciting and humbling. Reading my social justice poetry here was that and more—it was an honor. In fact, as a poet who draws on history when writing social justice work, just being in this place was deeply moving.
The bookstore features an impressive collection of resources, including narratives from Underground Railroad operatives—many of which I used to write the poetry in Inspired—as well as books exploring racism, bias, and history. Works by authors such as Ta-Nehisi Coates, Tiya Miles, Ibram Kendi, and Clint Smith lined the shelves, along with a comprehensive collection designed for young adults and children. I had donated copies of Inspired to the museum and was rewarded to see my book displayed next to those by such phenomenal writers. I brought home a copy of Sure, I’ll Be Your Black Friend by Ben Philippe and can’t wait to dive into it.
The PARH USA table was set up next to the museum’s Learning Center. On that day, the center’s theme was “Open Your Mind: Understanding Implicit Bias.” Permanent exhibits on the upper floors include Invisible: Slavery Today, The Slave Pen, and Escape! Freedom Seekers and the Underground Railroad. The strains of a jazz band filtered down the stairs as I signed copies of Inspired for museum visitors who were taking advantage of the free admission made possible by Fifth Third Foundation. (On Fifth Third Community Days that occur each month, museum admission is free.)
My visit was inspiring and insightful for so many reasons. The staff at the museum was friendly, enthusiastic, and engaged. The exhibits were powerful. From my vantage point, I could see the diversity of the people pouring into the museum—children in strollers, grandparents, teenagers; people of all ethnicities and tongues. Some who stopped by to talk with me about PARH USA and Inspired shared their own experiences with racism or bias. I left feeling I had been immersed in a space of grace and enlightenment.
The museum was a wonderful partner for this reading, and there is more to come. This September, PARH USA will join the Ohio Poetry Association to infuse the Freedom Center’s celebration of International Underground Railroad Month with poetry! On this special day, we will be at the Freedom Center to participate in a community fair, conduct social justice poetry workshops, and stage a powerful poetry reading in the museum’s theater. Keep an eye on our Events page for more information as the time approaches.
Thank you to the museum for inviting PARH USA to take part in its Freedom Circle reading series. If you are ever in Cincinnati, don’t miss a visit to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Or make a point to travel there. You will come away with a new appreciation for our shared history, and our call to action.