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Runnin’ and Runnin’ in Louisiana: The Underground Railroad

October 15, 2024

First-person accounts of enslaved people who sought freedom enliven this exploration of the Underground Railroad in Louisiana.

A black and white illustration depicts a group of African-American individuals walking with determination. A prominent figure in the foreground, wearing a headscarf and long dress, points forward, leading the group. The artwork is dynamic and expressive.

Learn about the Underground Railroad from primary sources in this interactive presentation. Excerpts from runaway slave ads, oral histories of formerly enslaved people, photographs, and more illustrate the stakes, challenges, and triumphs of freedom seekers.

Learn more in this presentation created by Kerri Sullivan-Leger, HNOC Derven Scholar and graduate student at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

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A blurred background with a close-up of a metal chain in focus. Overlaid text reads: Runnin and Runnin in Louisiana and The Underground Railroad by Kerri Sullivan Leger.
About

Derven Scholars

Paid internships for college students interested in museum education

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A Derven Scholar intern works at a desk at the Historic New Orleans Collection.

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A historical illustration depicting an auction scene with an auctioneer holding a gavel and several men in 19th-century clothing. A Black man and a Black woman stand on the auction block. Various fabrics are visible in the foreground.

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Cover of a book titled George L. Viavant: Artist of the Hunt by George E. Jordan. The cover features an illustration of a duck hanging upside down against a green and white background.

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Cover of Henry Howard: Louisiana’s Architect by Robert S. Brantley, featuring a historic white mansion with columns and a large porch, surrounded by green trees and a manicured lawn.

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A tour guide gestures towards an exhibition display at HNOC.
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