Hidden Messages in Negro Spirituals on the Underground Railroad: The Kankakee Public Library, 201 E. Merchant Street, welcomes Illinois Road Scholar Connie Martin, who will speak on “Hidden Messages in Negro Spirituals on the Underground Railroad.” The free program will be held on Thursday, February 1, at 6:30 p.m. Ms. Martin will share the connections of Negro Spirituals with meanings and interpretations of songs used in regions of the South that signaled multiple signs and tips that aided enslaved fugitives to find freedom.
Martin earned a BA from Illinois State University and an MA from Aurora University, with a Thesis in Integrating African American History Lessons in Educational Curriculums. Growing up attending countless choir rehearsals, church services, and research helped her learn about the history and meanings of Negro Spirituals.
“From Discovering Ancestry…to Finding History” at library: The Kankakee Valley Genealogical Society will host Max Michels at its next meeting, on Saturday, February 3, at 10:30 a.m., at the library. Michels will present the program “From Discovering Ancestry…to Finding History” and share an overview of his family research, while showing some of the tools used to obtain the information. He will expand on how that research has aided in improving his studies of Dutch-Americans, in both national and local history.
A brief business meeting will follow the program. The program and meeting are free and open to the public. No registration is required.
For additional information, call the library at 815-939-4564.