at the water front where you have these -- a group of black people looking across the detroit river to canada i think is the next one here. this here particular -- many people have come to detroit and sometimes scratch their heads what is that all about? this this symbolizes you know the determine of the underground railroad when you have people like -- lambert and madison light foot, i mean, you think you can go on and on in materials of pioneering abolitionists they were joined at some extent by the abolitionist many of had them being quakers because we at lambert had been schooled educated lived among quakers when they left trenton new jersey arrived in detroit.

he for me is just a phenomenal individual because he was like one of the main conductors of the underground railroad. i know in any classes in new york city when i talk about the underground railroad to hit their mind is a train, or berk train and say no, never did and white head has done his things in terms of the treatment you know of the underground railroad but this was a -- process by which why fugitive its could get away from the peculiar institution and end up in detroit are. so this here ed dwight's sculpture is symbolizes the people and certainly after 1850 when you have the fugitive slave law, when that act was passed that meant although and we have the black burn disa blackburn affair of these run away fugitive who is arrived from louisville, kentucky and thought they had found a safe refuge

away from these bounty hunt terse but with the passing of the 1850 slave that you have to go a little bit further so these people are looking across you know the detroit river to windsor and sometimes even windsor wasn't fun enough you have to keep going on up 401 up to ontario on to toronto and later would become a very profound what you call a community of -- of abolitionist that was up there we can talk about anderson one of the black men who o rode with john brown and when you start talking about the -- later period after the whole abolitionist beginning with lambert here's douglas cools to detroit, and he meets with john brown second baptist church and

being instrumental later on. we cannot ignore the church you know in this whole coming together in terms of resistance you know the whole idea of self-dernlings. it was coming from a number of church leaders who were affiliated with abolitionist movement but nothing more profound than william lambert his story that would make a fascinating femme to see the kind of stuff he went through the mystery system that he put together. they have a coating of -- kind of a secret code secret language you know they had trained all of these individuals on the underground railroad incase you encountered bounty hunters out there so instructive and later on his involvement with st. matthews church and his involvement in the educational process, working with people like fanny richtds who was pioneering black woman in terms of the first african-american to teach so-called public school system here. so we have this conjunction you know, and it's going to be a

collaborative situation from one generation to another spurred on by the other. did you know taken kind of being influence and enthusiasm for the break will yous occurring in the previous generation. we're going to see that happening time and time again and this whole odyssey of black detroit. you can watch this and other programs online at booktv.org. good evening and welcome to opportunities's program hosted by the commonwealth club of silicon valley my name is mary ellen, it is my pleasure to introduce doctor richard dockens evolution mare biologist pounder of the foundation for reason and science. and author most recently of science in the soul selected writings of a passionate rationalist. doctor was voted property magazine number one world sinker, and was on daily telegraphs 100 greatest living