Claiming Freedom: Triumphs and Travails of Emancipation Lawsuits

Description: This discussion will examine the efforts of enslaved and formerly enslaved persons of African descent to secure their freedom and legal rights through the court system.  The discussion will focus on notable efforts such as Sojourner Truth’s successful New York State lawsuit in 1828, to free her son, Peter, who had been illegally sold in Alabama.  This litigation made Truth the first Black woman to successfully sue a White man for a family member’s freedom.  The discussion will focus on the triumphs and challenges of seeking freedom and other legal rights through the court system during Antebellum and Postbellum periods.  Examination of these cases will help to understand relationships between past and present demands for liberation and equality as multifaceted and constant struggle, which can lead toward a free and informed future.

This program is co-sponsored by the Capital District Black and Hispanic Bar Association and the Montgomery County Bar Association. 

Program registration is free to all members of the New York State Bar Association, the Capital District Black and Hispanic Bar Association, and the Montgomery County Bar Association. Please contact NYSBA's Member Resource Center at [email protected] or by phone at 1-800-582-2452 for more details.