New Philadelphia, Illinois was founded in 1883. It was the first town in the United States registered and platted by an African American. Free Frank McWorter (1777-1854) was a former slave who saved money for his business to purchase the freedom of himself, his wife, and overtime, 13 members his family in Kentucky. The town was integrated and reached a population of about 160 before the Civil War in 1865. The two declined after the Civil War due to the installation of a nearby railroad. The town was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005, and became a National Historic Landmark in 2009. In 2013, the site was added to the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. It was designated as a National Historic Site in 2022. It is now part of a Freedom Corridor (described at length below).
NOTE--This informational blog is compiled by (with the exception of the introduction and photograph) and reprinted with permission from Abdul Akalimat, PhD
Greeting friends and colleagues:
I asked you to support New Philadelphia and many of you did. It is now a National Park.
https://www.nps.gov/places/new-philadelphia-nhs.htm
We are moving to the next level by organizing a Freedom Corridor in Central Illinois. Below is our organizing committee and mission statement
Our new ask is for you to sign this petition to express your support of such a mission statement to encourage us to continue forward.
https://chng.it/LchgtV8PXf
Out goal is 1,000 people to endorse. We hope you will. Your support gives legitimacy to our struggle in these terrible times. Even your students can help. And the community.
Please contact me if you need more information
Mission statement for a Freedom Corridor
The Freedom Corridor is a network of organizations and individuals dedicated to research, education, and celebratory activities that uplift the tradition of freedom seeking and those that advocate for the dismantling of racism and all forms of oppression. The Corridor was established to foster collaboration between historic sites, cultural institutions, and community stakeholders, in hopes that the Freedom Corridor will become a central voice in the preservation, advocacy, stewardship, and teaching of the region’s African American and other diverse histories.
Organizing Committee for a Freedom Corridor
Kamau Kemayo Associate Professor of African American Studies University of Illinois Springfield Illinois https://www.uis.edu/directory/kamau-kemayo
Executive Director The Springfield and Central Illinois African-American History Museum Springfield, Illinois https://spiaahm.org/ms-nalo-mitchell-executive-director/
Brittney Yancy Assistant Professor of History and African American Studies Illinois College Jacksonville, Illinois https://www.ic.edu/directory/yancy-brittney
Art Wilson Executive Director The African American History Museum Jacksonville, Illinois https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/history/2022/07/25/african-american-history-museum-jacksonville-illinois-things-to-do/65378644007/
G. Faye Dant, Executive Director Jim’s Journey Hannibal African American Life and History Project Hannibal, Missouri https://www.jimsjourney.org/mission-leadership-and-partners
Abdul Alkalimat Emeritus Professor University of Illinois Champaign, Illinois https://alkalimat.org/