ELGIN — Second Baptist Church will feature an evening of history, music and pantomime impressions of famous blacks on Sunday at the 17th annual
Black History event, titled “Elgin City-Wide Black History Event: The Roads We Traveled via the Underground Railroad.” The event will feature children and teenagers pantomiming figures such as Harriet Tubman and President Barack Obama, and a community choir concert. Ina Dews, the organizer of the event, says the presentation is unique. “It will be great to listen to her share all the information from the Underground Railroad. Basically, the slaves had no education, and they were able to maneuver themselves over to the opposite end of the country,” she said. There also will be a short presentation about how members of the Underground Railroad used quilt patterns to communicate. Underground Railroad “conductors” would hang quilts with specific patterns to signal to fugitive slaves, who often were hidden in attics or basements. “The presentation will feature new facts about African-American history. I think everyone should know something about themselves. The history is there for African-Americans, and we need to know who we are and what brought us to where we are today,” Dews said.
The event will take place at 5 p.m. at the church, 1280 Summit St. The event is free and open to the public. Call (847) 695-7757 for more information.