What Motivates Our Work, Freedom Trails: 2 Legacies of Hope

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East St. Louis Race Riot Memorial
July 1-2, 2005
July 1-2, 2005; East St. Louis and St. Louis communities come together to lay to rest the ancestors that suffered the 1917 East St. Louis Race Riots.

Endangered Underground Railroad Sites
The Illinois preservation Agency estimates some five hundred properties in Illinois are associated with the Underground railroad..many are in poor condition.

Governor Touts Tourism
Gov. Blagojevish brings opportunity Returns to Southwestern Illinois. It consists of 5 primary goals to address economic and workforce development.

	What Motivates Our Work Short explanation: What follows is a brief glimpse at the history that has motivated not only the work of historians and Illinoisan, but also Freedom Trails to keep the memory of the Underground Railroad in Illinois alive.

The Vision:
Designated as a six year state supported heritage project in 2001, Freedom Trails Legacies of Hope is framed around the historic Underground Railroad movement and other history including 19th & 20th century migration, and the role of people/places having significant affect upon African American heritage in Illinois specifically and American history in general. One’s cultural heritage should benefit the stakeholders of that heritage, T&L strives to focus when possible, on historic and present day African American communities to stimulate community and economic development.

The USA is built upon the quest for unity of the country, humanity, freedom and pursuit of happiness. At our best, democracy is demonstrated, diversity and tolerance promoted. Freedom Trails functions as a contemporary UGRR system, minus the secrecy: to rescue, protect and guide this heritage for safe keeping for passage to diverse consumers and future generations. We are working to build this “Over the Ground” system of shared information, sites, Celebrations and Commemorations in Lincoln’s Land.

Mission Statement:
Freedom Trails, Legend of Hope is to preserve, enhance and promote historic sites pertaining to African American heritage in the State of Illinois through research, collection, interpretation, education, information dissemination, product development and linkage of these trails/ sites and experiences in a systematic order allowing for tourism, cultural and economic development opportunities, thereby improving the quality of life for both residents and visitors.

Overview:
The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency estimates some five hundred properties in Illinois associated with the Underground Railroad. There was participation in an overwhelming majority of counties throughout the state. On the other hand there are also properties associated with attempts to reverse the UGRR’s effort in Illinois, a free state whose most treasured icon is Abraham Lincoln, the Emancipator. How proud we should all be, that we can acknowledge this varied history that has lead us to achieving a more unified Statehood.

What a unique position Illinois has in interpreting this country’s struggle to live up to its intended principles. Illinois has stood at pivotal points throughout history. African Americans helped clear the frontier at the first forts and French settlements. York stood on Illinois soil at the bank of the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers along side Lewis & Clark. Laws were enacted in Illinois courtrooms that set fundamental principals for civil rights effecting practices of servitude. Illinois had it’s own version of Harriet Tubman. Independent African American settlements and villages of both free and fugitive slaves rose. One of them is Brooklyn, the first black incorporated city in the country, another…New Philadelphia, the first city plotted by an African American for an integrated population. Jean Baptiste Pointe Du Sable settled the most populous city in the state. Our historical riot torn cities have survived and continue to heal. Chicago, daringly traversed by John Brown assisted by Allen Pinkerton, later received many African Americans migrating from the south. We can mark early profitable African American businesses. Elijah Lovejoy’s murder in Alton, outraged our young country and pushed us closer to Civil War. Similarly, Emmett Till’s funeral in 1955 in Chicago made clear issues that this country needed to resolve pertaining to civil rights.

African American history is American history. We are presenting and celebrating this heritage as a thread in the fabric, a patch in a wonderful quilt of overlapping heritages. For this reason, we have chosen, in spite of the intellectual controversy regarding the authenticity of the Quilt Codes espoused in the book, “Hidden in Plain View”, that we’ve chosen to employ quilt patterns in instructional, marketing, product development efforts and to navigate this web site. As the symbols are used to explore this site, we hope you will come to understand as we have that Illinois has been a gateway for escape, emancipation and empowerment. Come enjoy Illinois and its rich African American heritage and Freedom Trails as we rediscover it. This history and heritage continues to unfold in various states of development. It’s right here. Right now.

Methodology for Linkage:

Building the trail starts with research, inventory and networking with individuals, communities, preservation and tourism groups in the initial seventeen counties during phase one to include scores more in subsequent phases by the end of the 6th year of designation.

This work shall include, but not be limited to the following Counties in the State of Illinois:

Phase I:
Adams	Alexander	Clinton	Fayette
Greene	Jackson	Jersey	Macoupin
Madison	Morgan	Perry	Pike
Randolph	St. Clair	Sangamon	Scott
Washington

Subsequent Phases
Bond	Franklin	Fulton	Gallatin
Jefferson	Knox	Marion	Marshall
Mc Donough	McLean	Saline	Will
Williamson	Union

Cook	DuPage	Champaign	Monroe
Pulaski	Cole	Rock Island	Mercer
Livingston	Hancock	Warren	Ogle
De Kalb	Kane	Bureau	Henry
Peoria	Christian	Putnam	LaSalle
Marshall	Woodford	Tazewell	Manard
Stark	Iroquois	Whiteside…

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