In the 1850s, the Ohio River separated Kentucky from its northern neighbors, where slavery was outlawed but African Americans were hardly free. In this context, the river became the location for various stories—some fictional, some true—of daring escapes and precarious refuge. In this class, UofL professor Susan Ryan will focus on the famous crossing scene from Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin and the real-life story of Margaret Garner’s flight from Kentucky to Ohio (on which Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved is based), both of which involved mothers escaping slavery with young children. The class is free, but registration is requested; call (502) 574-1623.

Presented in collaboration with the University of Louisville Commonwealth Center for the Humanities and Society and Afloat: An Ohio River Way of Life.