The Network Spotlight

Star with an image of an African American woman's face on it

The Network Spotlight is a quarterly newsletter administered by the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program. This newsletter highlights accomplishments of Network to Freedom members and partners from across the country, upcoming grant and professional development opportunities that may be relevant to our members and partners, and important announcements from the Network to Freedom program.

Want to be featured in our monthly newsletter? Please email us at network_to_freedom@nps.gov to submit a request to be featured in our quarterly newsletter. In your email, please include:

  1. 1-2 sentences detailing your submission
  2. An image/image credit to be featured along with your submission.

To subscribe to our mailing list, please email us at network_to_freedom@nps.gov and let us know you consent to getting emails from the Network to Freedom team.

Network Spotlight Newsletters

To view our newsletters, use the navigation tool below to select the date of the newsletter you're looking for.

December 16, 2022 (Quarter 1, 2023)

New Network to Freedom Staff

Meet Barry Jurgensen: the new Midwest Regional Manager for the Network to Freedom Program

Barry first became an intern/historian with the NPS in 2005 and was stationed at the Midwest Regional Office (MWRO) in Omaha. Mr. Jurgensen took a break from NPS in 2009 to pursue a career in Education. After his first-year teaching, Mr. Jurgensen was selected as History Teacher of the Year for the State of Nebraska and later received the George C. Olson Award from the Nebraska State Historical Society, History Teacher of the Year from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, recognition from the Great Plains Black History Museum, and other accolades. He also served as a member of the Nebraska State Historic Preservation Board and Nebraska State Council for Social Studies.

As a teacher, Barry worked closely with Dr. Deanda Johnson to create the Forever Free program, which provides opportunities for high school students to become historians and preserve the history of the UGRR. The program is responsible for 34 successful applications to the Network to Freedom; and has since become a mentoring program that pairs local area experts and students who work together to identify, document, and preserve the UGRR. Barry is also known for his 525-mile walk following a route of the UGRR from Nebraska City, NE to Chicago, IL. Barry received the Frederick Douglass Human Rights Award in 2016 for his walk and contributions to the fight against human trafficking.

Barry left teaching in 2018 and began a new journey to reenter federal service. During this transition he became an adjunct professor of Civics and History at Bellevue University and Metropolitan Community College. In 2019, he worked with the National Register of Historic Places Program before serving as a grants manager with the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Barry’s passion has always involved the preservation of the UGRR and hopes to make an even bigger impact on the preservation of UGRR history as the next Midwest Regional Manager for the Network to Freedom.

Midwest Region Applicants should check in with Barry prior to submitting their applications via the online application system. They can get in touch with Barry at barry_jurgensen@nps.gov

Meet Venus Amadi: the Network to Freedom's new Grant Facilitator

Venus Amadi is a recent graduate of Howard University’s History Department. She is passionate about highlighting historically marginalized histories to promote justice and equity. As an undergraduate student, she supported various projects at academic institutions Georgetown University “Remembering U” and Howard University’s “Social Justice Consortium” through meaningful engagement with community leaders/members and research. Additionally, she spent two summers at two National Parks researching to diversify the historical interpretative narratives at Shenandoah National Park and Harriet Tubman National Historical Park site. Her background is in historical interpretation and writing, community engagement, and strategic communications.

New Application System: Open Houses

Recently, the Network to Freedom shifted to an online application system. The Network to Freedom Program recently hosted a series of online trainings to explain how to use the online application system. To view a recording of this training, you can check out our Online Application Resources and Training Page.

If you would like more direct technical assistance as you work through your online application, the Network to Freedom Program will be hosting several open houses for applicants to receive technical assistance.

Open Houses will be held:

  • Wednesday January 4, 2023, 11:00am EDT
  • Friday, January 6, 2023, 1:00pm EDT
  • Monday, January 9, 12:00pm EDT
  • Wednesday, January 11, 3:00pm EDT

Each Open House will last one hour. Participants can come and go as they please throughout that hour.

To receive the entry information, please submit your email address here.

November 15, 2021 (Quarter 1, 2022)

Featured Members: What are some neat things our members did last quarter?

Network to Freedom Member Josiah Henson Museum and Park kicked off International Underground Railroad Month with an opening ceremony in Montgomery County, Maryland. Josiah Henson Museum and Park hosted representatives from the Embassy of Canada, Maryland Office of Tourism, Maryland Department of Commerce, Congressional Delegates, Local Councilmembers, and the Washington Revels Jubilee Singers. At this event, Maryland announced their International Underground Railroad Month Proclamation for 2022, and Josiah Henson Museum and Park announced it's collaboration with Ontario Heritage Trust's Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site to tell the story of Josiah Henson both in the United States and Canada.

Staff from two Network to Freedom Members, the Michigan Freedom Trail Commission and Boone County Public Library, spearheaded a Story Map project connecting their Underground Railroad history. This project highlights the stories of four of the fifteen slave rescues documented in 1847 and represents years of work by researchers combing meticulously through primary sources and first-person narratives. A special thank you is owed to the following: Dr. Roy E. Finkenbine, Dr, Debian Marty, Dr. Veta Smith Tucker, Carol E. Mull, Hillary Delaney, and Lisa Schumann. This project is a collaborative effort between the Network to Freedom, Michigan Freedom Trails, and the Boone County Public Library.

Grant Opportunities

The Historic Preservation Fund will fund more than $150 million in projects to assist communities with historic preservation and conservation projects. There are currently four Historic Preservation Grant Programs that are accepting applications:

Stay up to date on which Historic Preservation Fund Grant Programs are accepting applications by keeping your eye on this page of the National Park Service's State, Tribal, Local, Plans & Grants Division Website.
Before applying, please make sure that you have read and understand the limitations of each funding program and have carefully reviewed the Notice of Funding Opportunity. The Notice of Funding Opportunity contains all the information you will need to create a successful application.
If you have questions about the general process of applying for a federal grant, the central government-wide database grants.gov has information about a variety of topics under the Grant Learning Center. To find a specific application opportunity on grants.gov, click the funding opportunity number below or search for the number on grants.gov.

National Park Service Grant Programs Webinar: National Park Service Staff recently hosted a webinar about grant programs state, tribal, and local governments and non-profits can apply for in the coming weeks. Grant funding can support physical preservation work to buildings and sites, nomination of resources to the National Register, and preservation planning efforts. The fully accessible recording of the webinar can be found on our Past Professional Development webpage.

New from the Network to Freedom

International Underground Railroad Month 2021 was a success! The following proclamations were issued during September, 2021:

  • Arkansas
  • Indiana
  • Kansas
  • Maryland
  • Missouri
  • Wyandot Nation of Kansas
  • Kent County, Maryland
  • St. Marys County, Maryland

Locations across the country hosted special events and posted about International Underground Railroad Month in 2021. View your accomplishments on the Network to Freedom's International Underground Railroad Month Landing Page.

The National Park Service's National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program announced a new virtual exhibit, North is Freedom. Created in partnership with the Embassy of Canada and Slovak-Canadian photographer Yuri Dojc, the exhibit showcases photographs of Underground Railroad descendants and shares the stories of their ancestors. This partnership project helps elevate more complete stories of freedom seekers and their allies and highlights how their descendants keep their legacy alive.

U.S. / I.C.O.M.O.S. hosts International Underground Railroad Mapping Project: The Network to Freedom and U.S./I.C.O.M.O.S. are looking to identify locations in other countries that have associations with the history of self liberation from enslavement through escape. The stories collected in this project will help inform future discussion of Underground Railroad history. Do you know an International Underground Railroad story? Please share with U.S./I.C.O.M.O.S. by filling out their GeoForm.

Upcoming Trainings and Conferences

Network to Freedom Open House: On December 14 at 1:00 p.m. EST, the Network to Freedom Program will be hosting an open house with Network to Freedom Staff. This informal gathering will allow members to share what projects and programs they are working on and how the Network to Freedom program can better support their objectives. To register, please follow this link.

An Odawa Oral Tradition of the Underground Railroad: In honor of Native American History Month, join the Network to Freedom Program and the Black Abolitionist Archive on November 16 at 4:00pm EDT for the presentation of "An Odawa Oral Tradition about the Underground Railroad." The discussion highlights an event from the early 1830s, passed down in Odawa oral tradition, of Odawas and Ojibwas accompanying twenty freedom seekers from the site of contemporary Grand Rapids in western Michigan to central Ontario via Michigan's Upper Peninsula. This story demonstrates the importance of oral tradition in exploring the Indigenous role in the Underground Railroad, the importance of Native Americans in that movement, and the alternative routes they sometimes used to assist freedom seekers. Dr. Roy Finkenbine, Professor of History and Director of the Black Abolitionist Archive at the University of Detroit Mercy, will share his research on this history, highlighting archival and oral source materials. Odawa and Ojibwa Spokespersons will share their wisdom and understanding of their history and offer comment on Dr. Finkenbine's research. Advanced registration is required. Please fill out the electronic form to register. We look forward to seeing you there.

Department of the Interior Library Park Ranger Speaker Series: "The Camp Nelson National Monument " Join us on Tuesday, November 16th from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm ET. Camp Nelson joined the National Park Service as a national monument on October 26, 2018. It is a Civil War site, but it’s not a battlefield. It was built in 1863 as a large supply depot to support the U.S. military effort to liberate East Tennessee. Camp Nelson also served as a significant recruiting and training station for white soldiers from Kentucky and Tennessee that same year. Starting in 1864, it grew into something much bigger. When the U.S. Military allowed enslaved men in Kentucky to enlist, Camp Nelson transformed to one of the largest recruitment and training centers for United States Colored Troops in the country (more than 10,000 soldiers). It also became a large refugee center for the formerly enslaved family members of those soldiers. Join Superintendent Ernie Price for a discussion about Camp Nelson’s dynamic history and how it provides us the chance to understand the Civil War through the lens of logistics and race. Camp Nelson is listed in the Network to Freedom Program as a site. Advanced registration required. Register here.

July 1, 2021 (Quarter 4, 2021)

Featured Member: What is something neat that our members did this quarter?

Network to Freedom Member Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park and Network to Freedom Partner the Slave Dwelling Project joined forces to tell the story of Mitchelville through an encampment during Juneteenth weekend.

Joseph McGill, founder of the Slave Dwelling Project, living historian, and descendant of the enslaved seeks to change the narrative of American slavery by spending the night in places where people of African descent were enslaved. On June 17, Mr. McGill met up with Historic Mitchelville's executive director Ahmad Ward to host a Facebook Live event and learn about this history of the site prior to the encampment. To watch Mr. Ward's tour, follow this link.

Grant Opportunities

The African American Heritage Preservation Program (AAHPP) provides grants to assist in the preservation of buildings, sites, or communities of historical and cultural importance to the African American experience in Maryland. The AAHPP is administered as a partnership between the Maryland Historical Trust and the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture (MCAAHC). The program typically receives an annual appropriation of $1,000,000 for grants per year.

New from the Network to Freedom

The National Park Service's National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program, in collaboration with the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), announced the awarding of $180,000 in grants. Twenty Network to Freedom Members will receive up to $10,000 each for projects that enhance the preservation, interpretation, and research of the Underground Railroad, one of the nation’s first civil rights movements. To learn more about which Network to Freedom Members were awarded grant funding, check out our latest press release.

In honor of Black Music Month, the Network to Freedom, in partnership with musician Bruce Barnes and Rev. Dr. Donna Cox published an interactive article and video series called "The Superpower of Singing: Music and the Struggle Against Slavery." This article and the corresponding video series discuss the importance of music in Black culture as people worked together to escape enslavement. Check out the series.

Go Behind the Book with author Glennette Tilley Turner as she discusses her book "Fort Mose." Mrs. Tilley Turner explains why she wrote the book, the importance of the story to the Underground Railroad, and gives viewers a sneak peek into her newest book, expected in Fall, 2021. This interview is also a pre-reading activity in our Featured Junior Ranger Activity: Story Time with Mr. Pompey Fixico.

Upcoming Trainings and Conferences

Race, Slavery and Freedom in the Midwest: From the time Europeans arrived in the late 17th century, the Midwest was a site of dispossession and enslavement. Even when the region became part of a new nation founded on the democratic principle that “all men are created equal,” racist attitudes and laws persisted and proliferated. Yet the region has also been a site for crucial struggles for freedom and equality that transformed communities and the nation as a whole. This 2-day virtual event, consisting of two panels, will explore the history of race, slavery, and freedom in the early Midwest, with a focus on the experiences of people of African descent in the decades before the Civil War. More information, including how to register, will be released closer to the event. The two panels will be:

  • Thursday, July 8 at 3pm ET: Disrupting Historical Erasures
  • Friday, July 9 at 3pm ET: Contending with History on the Ground

To Freedom and Back: The Nelson Hackett Case and It's Legacy 2021 marks the 180th anniversary of Nelson Hackett’s escape from slavery on the Underground Railroad, an incident which helped secure Canada as a refuge for freedom seekers. Join Dr. Michael Pierce (the University of Arkansas), and Dr. Roy Finkenbine (University of Detroit Mercy) as they discuss Hackett’s flight and the successful campaign waged by abolitionists that ensured Hackett would be the last freedom seeker returned by Canada. There will also be a brief demonstration of the University of Arkansas Humanities Center’s Nelson Hackett Project Database (https://nelsonhackettproject.uark.edu), a digital humanities program listed in the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program. To register, learn more, or read the whole program description, please follow this link.

Recent Professional Development from the Network to Freedom

This past quarter, the Network to Freedom also hosted the Maryland Office of Tourism, U.S. ICOMOS, and the University of Detroit Mercy in a webinar, "Introduction to International Underground Railroad Month. This program provided participants with resources to begin planning for this year's International Underground Railroad Month commemorations. View this webinar.

This past quarter, The Network to Freedom program hosted a scholars roundtable and public open house event, entitled "The Legacy of the Underground Railroad in Texas." This program, which featured a panel of five wonderful scholars who have done work to study and document stories of the Underground Railroad in Texas, helped the Network to Freedom to connect with potential new members and highlight next steps to help document the stories of freedom seekers in Texas. The public open house was recorded, and will be placed on the Network to Freedom website page for "Past Professional Development" in the coming weeks.

April 1, 2021 (Quarter 3, 2021)

Featured Member

Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park premiered their new video: "Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park and the Underground Railroad Network to Freedom." This new video explains the various Underground Railroad connections within the park. Click here to view the fully accessible video.

Member Accomplishments

In honor of Black History Month, the National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum, associated with Network to Freedom member Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark, released a video series called “Black History Matters.” This series of twenty-eight virtual introductory short “crash courses” addressing various aspects of Black American history and culture. Click here to learn more.

National Parks of Boston developed a video series entitled “Boston’s Women and the Underground Railroad” in honor of Women’s History Month. Click here to learn more.

While we may know of the heroic tales of Harriet Tubman’s efforts to escape enslavement, then return 13 times to the south to rescue enslaved Africans, her connection to food for survival and the role it played in the Underground Railroad has been overlooked. In February, Johnson House Historic Site, a Network to Freedom member since 2002, presented the virtual program "Food for Freedom: Feeding Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad," Chef Gail Hinson shares what it was like to travel the UGRR, concentrating on the food ways along the route. Click here to watch the virtual program.

The David Ruggles Center, a facility on the Network to Freedom, used a grant from Mass Humanities to develop “'We Are Here to Honor Liberty and Denounce Slavery:' An Interactive Middle and High School Curriculum." Visit their website to learn more.

The Old Jail Museum, a Network to Freedom Member, released a new visitor pamphlet and new exhibits outlining the stories of numerous freedom seekers who were held there. For more information, visit their Facebook page.

On February 1, Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park held a virtual Freedom Day. This epic exploration of Mitchelville took viewers on a journey from the vision of freedom to present day through the stories and conversations of the descendants of the waymakers. Mitchelville has been a Network to Freedom site since 2014.

Grant Opportunities

In collaboration with the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), the Network to Freedom Program will be offering competitive grants ranging between $1000 and $10,000. Due to technical difficulties, the release of the grant application will be delayed. As soon as more information is available, the Network to Freedom team will update their website with an updated application deadline. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

Other National Park Service Grants

The National Park Service also has other grant opportunities available. Click here to learn more.

Upcoming Trainings and Conferences

The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) is currently accepting proposals for papers for their Annual Conference. This conference, which will be held virtually this September, focuses on the theme of "The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity." Click here to learn more.

The Slave Dwelling Project, a Network to Freedom partner, is accepting panel and paper proposals for their annual conference, September 30 – October 1, 2021. Click here to learn more.

The Michigan Freedom Trail Commission, a Network to Freedom Member, and the Michigan History Center, in partnership with the William L. Clements Library, invite proposals for presentations to be given at the fourth annual Michigan Underground Railroad Heritage Gathering. Click here to learn more.

September is International Underground Railroad Month! Join the Network to Freedom, Maryland Office of Tourism, and the Michigan Freedom Trail Foundation for a webinar on April 28 at 2:30pm EST to learn about ways to prepare. Stay tuned for more information.

New from the Network to Freedom

This past quarter, the Network to Freedom Program released it's newest video series, the Ranger Roadshow. Each month, join Ranger Amanda on a trip to a different Network to Freedom Listing. This past February and March, we virtually visited Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library and Museums in Ohio, and Boone County Public Library in Kentucky. Coming up next: join us as we visit Adkins Arboretum, home to the unique Network to Freedom Program "A Journey Begins." This program, which received a Network to Freedom Grant in 2020, highlights the unique connections between nature and the Underground Railroad.

On Wednesday March 31, the Network to Freedom and Boone County Public Library held a virtual lecture with Dr. Nikki Taylor. This webinar detailed the life and legacy of Margaret Garner: a freedom seeker who, when captured, killed her young child so as not to have them returned to slavery. This webinar was recorded. The recording will be made available soon. Viewer discretion is advised.

January 19, 2021 (Quarter 2, 2021)

Featured Member

Washington County Historical Society's "Laid Back History" series featured the story of the John Davis Case. This story will also be featured in their upcoming exhibit, Arcs of Freedom. Click here to view the video.

Member Accomplishments

National Parks of Boston and Harpers Ferry National Historical Park coordinated with the Network to Freedom to develop "the Road to Harpers Ferry." This story map details the life and legacy of John Brown. Click here to view the project.

A Michigan Historic Marker was placed in Bucky Harris State Park to commemorate the site of the American Freeman - Michigan's first abolitionist newspaper. Learn more.

University of Detroit Mercy's Black Abolitionist Archive co-sponsored the "Native Americans and the Underground Railroad in the Midwest" Webinar. Click here to view.

During ongoing work on the “Legacy of Enslaved Mothers” project, staff at Boone County Public Library identified the path of Sisley White, daughter of John White and Jane Stephens. John Miller purchased Sisley, and it is likely that she worked in his home. Boone County Public Library's Legacy of Enslaved Mother's project, funded by a Network to Freedom Grant, will develop an interactive exhibit which can be used at home, in the classroom, or as a self guided tour.

New from the Network to Freedom

Our StoryTime video series is still available! Until June 30, 2021, the young and young at heart can join in reading Fort Mose "Fort Mose and the Story of the Man who Built the First Free Black Settlement in Colonial America," by Glennette Tilley Turner. You read along with Pompey Fixico to learn more about the southern routes of the Underground Railroad to Spanish Florida and the story of Francisco Menendez.

The book is the recipient of 2011 Golden Kite Award for nonfiction. This virtual experience is recommended for ages 10 and up.

Looking Ahead

Network to Freedom Staff are eager to begin our 41st Application Review. The application deadline for our 41st Round of applications is January 15.

To see all of our current listings, check out our interactive map!

Last updated: April 27, 2023

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