Years in the making, a project dedicated to the memory of those involved in The Underground Railroad launched in September as a photography exhibit at the Ypsilanti Library.
"Through Darkness to Light: Photographs Along the Underground Railroad," opened Sept. 1 at the library's Whittaker Road branch, 5577 Whittaker Road in Ypsilanti Township. The exhibit closes Oct. 20.
They illustrate not only our area’s role in helping people reach freedom in the north, but they are a very early and powerful expression of civil rights,” Library Assistant Director Julianne Smith said of the photos, in an announcement on the exhibit.
A network of routes and hidden pathways, the Underground Railroad was a path enslaved African Americans could use to escape toward northern free states. While the exact number of individuals who used the network between 1800 and1865 is unknown, it is theorized that the total is more than 100,000.
Because of the importance of keeping the network secret, few records exist that outline the pathways and or credit the people who coordinated the routes. "Through Darkness to Light," a work by American artist and photographer Janine Michna-Bales, was designed to document both, and to foster remembrance of the railroad's history.
“Because of the nature of it, there isn’t all that much that we know about the Underground Railroad," one of the library employees said about the exhibit. "She wanted to encapsulate what that experience would have been like, by taking photos of what they may have seen.”
Michna-Bales' collection of photos come from her travels along the pathways historians believe were used by those wading the routes of the Underground Railroad. She did years of research, covering about 2,000 miles of territory, library administrators said.
Some of those sites are in Michigan.
“Michigan has over 20 sites highlighting the people and places that were part of the Underground Railroad, including several here in Washtenaw County,” Smith said.
Not only do Michna-Bales’ photographs help visitors imagine the world these people lived through, the exhibit acts as a reminder of the distances escaping slaves traveled, exhibit organizers said. It’s estimated that some routes of the Underground Railroad were as long as 1,000 miles; the vast majority were traveled by foot.
"Through Darkness to Light" is not Michna-Bales’ first project related to the struggles of civil rights and freedom movements. In 2020, an issue of Smithsonian Magazine featured her article: “Standing Together: Inez Milholland’s Final Campaign for Women’s Suffrage,” highlighting a series of photographs telling the story of Milholland, a leading women’s suffragist, and her efforts
to gain equal rights for American women.
During the Underground Railroad photo exhibit, the Ypsilanti library will host a number of events and performances related to the history of the railroad. Those events include:
Harriet Tubman Herself, with Chris Dixon: At 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, actress and singer Chris Dixon will perform a one-woman show as Tubman, known as the Moses of her People, at the Whittaker Road branch.
African-American Quilt History in Michigan: At 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17, in this virtual presentation, quilt scholar Marsha MacDowell highlights stories of quilting in Michigan, from Idlewild to Detroit and from the time of slavery to today. Audience members will be introduced to the Black Diaspora Quilt History Project. For more information on accessing the webinar, visit the library's event page.
Black Men Read Book Party: At 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, members of the Black Men Read group will feature stories from the African diaspora and a hands-on art activity during this family book party at the Superior Township library branch, 1900 Harris Road.
Navigating by Stars: At 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, Buddy Stark, the planetarium manager from the University of Michigan's Museum of Natural History, will guide his audience in star navigation. Participants will be able to create their own planisphere at the workshop, which will be in the Whittaker Road branch community room.
The Underground Railroad and Me: At 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1, community members will explore Michigan history, dispel myths and present opportunities to deepen participants' connections to the people and stories of the Underground Railroad, at the Whittaker Road branch.
Journey to Freedom, A Local Underground Railroad Tour: From 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 13, participants can join a bus tour offered by the library and the African American Cultural and Historical Museum of Washtenaw County and hear stories about places people drive past every day. Led by docent Deborah Meadows, the tour starts and ends at the Whittaker Road library and includes some of the most important African-American history sites in the county.
For more information on the exhibit, and other events related to the Underground Railroad, visit the library's events page, or contact library managers at 734-482-4110.
Check out other events happening at the library on its website: YpsiLibrary.org. To learn more about the work of artist Jeanine Michna-Bales, visit her website at JMBalesPhotography.com.
