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Abolitionists Battle Down a Door in Syracuse to Free a Fugitive 160 Years Ago

margo — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 13:59:45 +0000

Pictured is the monument in Clinton Square, Syracuse, to honor the Jerry Rescue of Oct. 1, 1851. John M. Rudy, National Park Service, will share his research on the freeing of a fugitive in a program at the Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark in Peterboro Saturday, Oct. 1, at 2 p.m.

Jermain Wesley Loguen of Syracuse was one of the primaries in the rescue of Jerry McHenry from a jail in Syracuse Oct. 1, 1851.

(Peterboro, Syracuse, NY – Oct. 2011) On Oct. 1, 160 years ago, a captured fugitive slave named Jerry was freed by a mob of Syracuse citizens. For seven years after that date, Central New York abolitionists celebrated the Jerry Rescue with an event that commemorated its importance.

In 1859 Gerrit Smith refused requests by the Jerry Rescue Committee to speak because people had not maintained the high level of commitment to abolition that the Jerry Rescue had demonstrated.

On Oct. 1, exactly 160 years after the Jerry Rescue, John M. Rudy of the National Park Service will present “The Jerry Level: Gerrit Smith and the Memory of the Jerry Rescue” at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark, 4543 Peterboro Road, Peterboro.

Oct. 1, 1851, events in downtown Syracuse drastically altered the course of the lives of countless Central New Yorkers. As abolitionists battered down the door to a Syracuse police station and freed the fugitive slave Jerry Henry, they embarked on a journey which would span the course of the next decade.

The Jerry Rescue was a catalyst for Upstate’s abolition activity from 1851 until the dawn of the Civil War.

Among those who turned the freeing of one man on Clinton Square in Syracuse into mass action were Gerrit Smith and Jermain Loguen. Smith advocated living life to the “Jerry Level” regarding the need for radical action. Loguen took the Jerry Rescue as inspiration to become more active in the Underground Railroad in Central New York.

Throughout the 1850s, the two men grew more radical every year until, by 1859, civil war seemed inevitable.

Rudy will share some of the history he unearthed during research for his thesis. Daniel Webster, in his May 1851 speech in Syracuse which challenged the abolition community, leads off the study. The next chapter centers on Loguen, Syracuse’s “King” of the Underground Railroad.

Third is a discussion of Smith’s disillusionment with the Upstate abolition community over the course of the 1850s and his eventual alliance with John Brown. The final chapter discusses Samuel May and the “death” of the Jerry Rescue spirit in Syracuse at the coming of the war.

It seems that the abolition world for about 10 years revolved around Syracuse and its personalities – Smith being key among that community of thinkers.

A native of Pompey, Rudy has been studying the history of Upstate New York’s abolition community since 2005. He holds a master’s in applied history from Shippensburg University and a bachelors in history with a minor in Civil War Era studies from Gettysburg College.

Rudy currently lives in Gettysburg and works with the National Park Service’s Interpretive Development Program in Harpers Ferry, W.V., creating training materials for park rangers across the entire park system.

The Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark and the National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum are open from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays from May 14 to Oct. 23. Admission to each site is $2. Stewards and students are free.

For more information, call (315) 684-3262 or visit gerritsmith.org or abolitionhof.org.

Future Fund to Honor Grantee at Award Reception

m3pmedia — Tue, 10 May 2011 22:21:36 +0000

(Syracuse, NY – May 9, 2011) The Future Fund of Central New York will award a $5,000 grant to Syracuse Grows’ Urban Gardening Capacity Building Initiative at its annual grant awards celebration on Thursday, May 19 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the CNY Philanthropy Center, 431 East Fayette Street in Syracuse. Syracuse Grows was chosen out of 35 grant applications submitted to the fund’s focus area for 2011 – Nutrition and Wellness.

The award ceremony will include an hors d’oeurves and cash bar reception catered by Tiffany’s Catering Company. Tickets cost $15 for members and $20 for nonmembers and can be purchased by emailing futurefundcny@gmail.com or by visiting www.cnycf.org/futurefund. The Future Fund encourages others interested in giving back to the community as emerging philanthropists to come to the event and learn how the fund can maximize their giving dollars.

Each year, the Future Fund members vote on a focus area for its grant award. This year’s focus area was on nutrition and wellness, but this varies year to year based on a vote of the membership. When all applications are received, the Fund’s members voted to choose the top three projects. Members were then invited to visit the sites, meet staff and learn more about the applicants before choosing the final award recipient. Since its inception in 2004, the Future Fund has awarded seven grants, totaling $35,000 to Central New York organizations.

The Future Fund of Central New York is a giving circle established to involve and empower emerging philanthropists to make the Central New York community a better place to live and work. Its members are involved in building a charitable endowment and providing grants in program areas that change each year based on the vote of the membership. According to the Washington, D.C.-based New Ventures in Philanthropy, giving circles are one of the fastest growing philanthropic trends nationwide. For more information, visit: www.cnycf.org/futurefund.

The Future Fund of Central New York is a component fund of the Central New York Community Foundation. The Community Foundation connects the generosity of donors with community needs by making grants to organizations working to enhance the quality of life of those who live and work in Central New York. The Community Foundation annually makes more than $5 million in grants and provides leadership support in the fields of arts and culture, community and economic development, education, environment, health and human services.

Future Fund to Honor Grantee at Award Reception

m3pmedia — Tue, 10 May 2011 22:21:36 +0000

New York Insurance Department announces public forums on the health insurance exchange

m3pmedia — Tue, 10 May 2011 22:18:37 +0000

Events to be held in Albany, Rochester, Syracuse & New York City

NEW YORK, NY (05/10/2011)(readMedia) New Yorkers are invited to a series of public forums to present their ideas on the design of New York’s health insurance exchange, a major part of federal health care reform, the New York State Insurance Department announced today. Starting in 2014, the exchange will offer a market for small businesses and individuals to find affordable health insurance. More than one million New Yorkers currently without health insurance are expected to obtain coverage, while many others will find more affordable insurance.

The forums will be held on the following dates and places:

Albany, Monday, May 16: 10:00am-2:00pm, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Ballrooms C & D, State and Lodge Streets

Syracuse, Tuesday, May 17: 1:00-5:00pm, Everson Museum of Art, Hosmer Auditorium, 401 Harrison Street

New York City, Wednesday, May 18: 10:00am-2:00pm, Baruch College, Vertical Campus Conference Center, One Bernard Baruch Way (E. 25th St., between Lexington & 3rd Aves.)

Rochester, Thursday, May 19: 2:00-5:30pm, Monroe Community College, Brighton Campus, Building 4 Theater, 1000 East Henrietta Road

Call-In Forum, Monday, May 23: 12:30-3:30pm, Call-in information will be sent to registered participants.

The forum in New York City on May 18 will be shown as a live webcast through a link to be posted on www.HealthCareReform.ny.gov.

Everyone who wishes to attend a forum is asked register in advance through the forum’s specific registration page at www.HealthCareReform.ny.gov. Anyone wishing to speak at a public forum is requested to submit written testimony prior to the forum. Testimony should be sent as a Word document to HealthCareReform@exec.ny.gov with the forum city and date in the subject line of the email. Each speaker is also asked to bring five (5) written copies of their testimony to be presented at the forum. Priority will be given to speakers who submit testimony in advance. Each speaker will be given five minutes to present his or her ideas.

Individuals who are unable to attend any of these forums may submit written comments to HealthCareReform@exec.ny.gov and/or participate in the call-in forum on May 23.

The event venues will be accessible for individuals with disabilities. Additional disability assistance accommodations will be provided, upon reasonable request, to afford such individuals to participate in these public forums. Requests for assistance should be sent to HealthCareReform@exec.ny.gov.

Additional information, including registration and speaker instructions, is available at www.HealthCareReform.ny.gov. For further information, email HealthCareReform@exec.ny.gov.