MLK Day: Museum Open in Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the museum at the David Ruggles Center will be open Monday, January 20, 12-4 PM. Visitors can learn about Black Americans, many formerly enslaved, who lived in Florence and Northampton in the 1840s and 1850s and fought against the institution of slavery and racial injustice. This history highlights not only antislavery icons like Sojourner Truth and David Ruggles, but also the lives of ordinary local heroes like Basil Dorsey and Stephen Rush who had escaped enslavement and continued the quest for equality in Florence. Through these stories, visitors can learn about and reflect upon the Underground Railroad, Frederick Douglass, as well as Florence’s 1840s abolitionist utopian community, William Lloyd Garrison, and the 19th century quest to end slavery and racial injustice in the USA, a century before the 20th Century Civil Rights Movement emerged. Docents will be on hand. Refreshments will be provided. All are welcome!