Children and parents at the Chatham library learned about the extremes slaves in the 1800s would go to for freedom.
As part of Black History Month, the Chatham-Kent Black Historical Society presented Henry’s Freedom Box, a children’s book written about the true story of Henry “Box” Brown, who mailed himself in a shipping container to Pennsylvania to escape his owner and the tragic loss of his family.
Society executive director Samantha Meredith was at the Chatham branch of the Chatham-Kent Public Library to read to kids during Friday’s PA Day activities.
Meredith read about Henry’s wife and children being sold off to different slave owners, leaving him alone. He came up with the idea to hide in a wooden shipping crate, and with the help of a doctor who was against slavery, he was nailed into the crate and spent 36 hours on a steam ship on his way to freedom.
“This book really brings the point home about the extremes people were willing to go to get their freedom,” Meredith explained.
At the Black History Museum at the WISH Centre in Chatham, she said they have a crate similar to the one in the book that was used by a woman from Kentucky to ship herself to Chatham, in a manner similar to the one used by Brown.
After reading the book aloud, Meredith welcomed kids and parents to try and fit in a replica box she brought to the library. For kids, it was no problem curling up in the box, but for an adult, it was a little tougher.
Becca Green-LaPierre, who was at the library with her children, Ella, 6, and Ben, 4, asked to see the book by award winning author Ellen Levine to read the story to her kids again.
“It’s incredible, this story and to think these things happened right around us,” Green-LaPierre said.
She added that people in the area, herself included, don’t take advantage of the amazing history right in our own backyard.
The Society has other events planned for this month, including a history program on Feb. 18 at 1 p.m. at The Black Mecca Museum at the WISH Centre. For more information, phone 519-352-3565 or go to www.ckbhs.org.
