Blog
Blog · March 02, 2026
Hello and welcome to our final Black History Matters 2026 video! As we close this season of Black History Matters, this video will take a moment to reflect on why we have spent this time together exploring abolition history. The truth is, abolition is not only something that happened. It is something we are still grappling with. What does it mean to abolish a system that reproduces inequality? What does it mean to confront racism not just as personal prejudice, but as structural reality? What...
Blog · February 28, 2026
This presentation will highlight the important role of Peterboro, NY, in narratives of the Abolition Movement in the US and particularly New York State’s role, with a focus on upstate NY. Today’s presentation will be given by Dr. Milton C. Sernett. Dr. Sernett is Professor Emeritus of African American Studies and History at Syracuse University. He is a founding member of the National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum and a member of the Cabinet of Freedom. Watch Now
Blog · February 24, 2026
Most of us are taught in our history classes that slavery ended with the passage of the 13th Amendment on January 31, 1865. At this juncture in history, a whole Civil War had been fought over the issue of slavery, and the prohibition of slavery had been cemented into law through the 13th Amendment. As the Union/the North, comprised of non-slaveholding free states, won the war, it would seem logical that they would ensure the institution of slavery would be forever prohibited from U.S. soil. But...
Blog · February 22, 2026
Traditional narratives of abolition have long been structured around prominent male figures. But this focus has obscured a broader and more complex reality. Abolition was not built solely in parliaments, presidential offices, or lecture halls dominated by men. It was also sustained through networks, associations, households, churches, and print media in which women played key roles. The purpose of this video is to demonstrate that women were not auxiliary supporters standing behind great men;...
Blog · February 17, 2026
When we think about abolition, the story is often contained within national borders that is, mainly the United States. We think of core moments like the Civil War, and emancipation in 1863. In that telling, abolition appears as a largely domestic moral reckoning, resolved within the boundaries of a single nation-state. Yet over the past several decades, historians have fundamentally challenged this framework. In this video we will explore key questions like: Was abolition primarily the result...
Blog · February 14, 2026
When we hear the phrase today, the Underground Railroad, it can sound almost mythical, like a secret tunnel system or a perfectly organized railway stretching from South to North. Popular memory often reduces it to a handful of heroic figures and dramatic escapes. But the reality was far more complex, far more dangerous, and far more collective. So we need to begin with three essential questions for our video: What actually was the Underground Railroad? Who made it possible? And what did it...
Blog · February 10, 2026
Welcome to Black History Matters 2026! Today, we will examine several central questions: Why did New York move toward abolition earlier than the South? What did gradual emancipation actually mean in practice? Who pushed this process forward, and who benefited from its delays? And finally, why does New York’s history of slavery and abolition still matter today? Watch now on the NAHAOF Youttube Channel
Blog · February 07, 2026
In this video, we will explore the powerful and complex role that religion, specifically Christianity, played in shaping the abolitionist movement. Videos will be released two per week throughout the month of February on the National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum YouTube channel, youtube.com/@AbolitionHallofFame, and can also be accessed through the NAHOF website along with a listing of titles and dates, and links to videos from prior years. The Black History Matters series was founded in...
Blog · February 01, 2026
Welcome to the sixth year of Black History Matters. Videos will be released two per week throughout the month of February on the National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/@AbolitionHallofFame, and can also be accessed through the NAHOF website along with a listing of titles and dates, and links to videos from prior years. The Black History Matters series was founded in conjunction with the Upstate Institute at Colgate University. Schedule Feb. 1 Introduction to...