As part of Hennepin County’s America 250 commemoration, we explore this nation’s “unfinished revolutions,” as we strive for freedom and equity for all. This panel will take as its starting point the history and legacy of Eliza Winston, an enslaved woman from Mississippi who was granted her freedom in Minnesota in 1860 following a landmark court case. Expert panelists will discuss the social ramifications and reception to this case here in Minnesota and beyond, including how the effects reverberate through to today.

Panelists include:

Christopher Lehman, Chair of Ethnic Studies at St. Cloud State University and author of the books Slavery’s Reach: Southern Slaveholders in the North Star State and It Took Courage: Eliza Winston’s Quest for Freedom.

Bryan D. Tyner, CEO of Phyllis Wheatley Community Center and former Minneapolis Fire Chief.

Yohuru R. Williams, Distinguished University Chair and Professor of History, as well as Founding Director of the Racial Justice Initiative at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.

This panel is moderated by John Crippen, and presented in partnership with the Hennepin History Museum of which he is the Executive Director.

Funded by Hennepin County and MELSA (Metropolitan Library Service Agency).