Skip to main content
close
Font size options
Increase or decrease the font size for this website by clicking on the 'A's.
Contrast options
Choose a color combination to give the most comfortable contrast.

Lives in Code: Stories of African American Resilience

The Illinois Black Codes, 1819-1865

2023-07-06 18:00:00 2023-07-06 19:00:00 America/Chicago Lives in Code: Stories of African American Resilience The Urbana Free Library - Zoom

Thursday, July 06
6:00pm - 7:00pm

Add to Calendar 2023-07-06 18:00:00 2023-07-06 19:00:00 America/Chicago Lives in Code: Stories of African American Resilience Join historian and educator, Caroline Kisiel, for a history of the Illinois Black Codes, sponsored by the Illinois Humanities Road Scholar Speaker Bureau. The Urbana Free Library - Zoom

Join historian and educator, Caroline Kisiel, for a history of the Illinois Black Codes, sponsored by the Illinois Humanities Road Scholar Speaker Bureau.

As the home of celebrated champions of freedom such as Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama, it is often surprising for Illinoisans to learn about the long history of slavery, racial segregation, and exclusion in Illinois’s past.

Federally obligated by the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 to pass its constitution as a free state in 1818, residents in the region prior to Illinois statehood had practiced slavery and indentured servitude since the 1700s. This laid the groundwork for a series of harsh laws passed post-statehood called the Illinois Black Codes, which regulated the lives of enslaved people, indentured servants, and free Blacks in Illinois from 1819-1865 – a period of 46 years.

Caroline Kisiel is a public historian and educator who has been teaching for over 25 years. With a background in immigration law, literature, history, storytelling, and performance, Kisiel writes and presents on early-Illinois history and is currently conducting research on the role of Albion, Illinois in the struggle to keep Illinois slavery-free in the early years of statehood as well as research on stories of African American resilience under the Illinois Black Codes.

Kisiel showcases researched information and historical documents, and facilitates audience engagement activities around questions of the value of history and activism through themes of early Illinois struggles to keep slavery at bay in the state, the fight for African American rights, and key early Illinois figures in this period who fought against racism and exclusion—and persevered despite the odds.

This event is being produced in partnership with Illinois Humanities. The Illinois Humanities Road Scholars Speakers Bureau invites Illinois authors, artists, and educations to share their expertise and enthusiasm with people throughout the state, enabling local nonprofit organizations to present free-admission cultural programs to their communities.

AGE GROUP: | Adults |

EVENT TYPE: | Local History & Genealogy | Adult |

TAGS: | |

The Urbana Free Library

Phone: 217-367-4057

Hours
Mon, May 05 9:00AM to 9:00PM
Tue, May 06 9:00AM to 9:00PM
Wed, May 07 9:00AM to 9:00PM
Thu, May 08 9:00AM to 9:00PM
Fri, May 09 9:00AM to 6:00PM
Sat, May 10 9:00AM to 6:00PM
Sun, May 11 1:00PM to 5:00PM

About the library

Conveniently located at the corner of Race and Green in downtown Urbana.

Upcoming events

Fri, May 09, 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Urbana High School

Sat, May 10, 10:00am - 11:00am
Sola Gratia Farm

Sat, May 10, 11:00am - 11:45am
The Urbana Free Library - Megan's Reading Room,The Lewis Auditorium

Sat, May 10, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Mon, May 12, 8:30am - 11:00am
Yankee Ridge Elementary School

Mon, May 12, 9:00am - 2:30pm
Leal Elementary

Mon, May 12, 9:30am - 11:30am
The Urbana Free Library - The Satterthwaite Conference Room

Mon, May 12, 9:30am - 11:30am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Mon, May 12, 12:30pm - 4:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Mon, May 12, 3:00pm - 5:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Satterthwaite Conference Room

Tue, May 13, 9:00am - 2:30pm
Leal Elementary

Tue, May 13, 10:00am - 10:25am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Tue, May 13, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Yankee Ridge Elementary School

Tue, May 13, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Tue, May 13, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - Online

Tue, May 13, 7:00pm - 9:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Wed, May 14, 9:30am - 2:30pm
Urbana Early Childhood School

Wed, May 14, 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Teen Open Lab - The Lewis Auditorium

Wed, May 14, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Thu, May 15, 9:00am - 3:00pm
Yankee Ridge Elementary School

Thu, May 15, 10:00am - 10:30am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Thu, May 15, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Fri, May 16, 9:00am - 2:00pm
Yankee Ridge Elementary School

Sat, May 17, 8:00am - 12:00pm
Urbana's Market at the Square

Sat, May 17, 11:00am - 12:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Sat, May 17, 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Lincoln Square Mall

Cancelled
Sun, May 18, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
The Urbana Free Library

Sun, May 18, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Mon, May 19, 9:30am - 11:30am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Mon, May 19, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - MacFarlane-Hood Reading Room

Tue, May 20, 10:00am - 10:25am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Tue, May 20, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Tue, May 20, 6:00pm - 8:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - MacFarlane-Hood Reading Room

Wed, May 21, 9:30am - 2:30pm
Urbana Early Childhood School

Wed, May 21, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Satterthwaite Conference Room

Wed, May 21, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Wed, May 21, 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Teen Open Lab - The Lewis Auditorium

Thu, May 22, 10:00am - 10:30am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Thu, May 22, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Thu, May 22, 7:00pm - 8:30pm
St. Matthews Church

Sat, May 24, 8:00am - 12:00pm
Urbana Farmer's Market

Sat, May 24, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Sun, May 25, All day
The Urbana Free Library

Mon, May 26, All day
The Urbana Free Library

Tue, May 27, 10:00am - 10:25am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Tue, May 27, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Wed, May 28, 10:00am - 11:30am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Wed, May 28, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Wed, May 28, 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Teen Open Lab - The Lewis Auditorium

Thu, May 29, 10:00am - 10:30am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Thu, May 29, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Thu, May 29, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Sun, Jun 01, All day
The Urbana Free Library - Children's Area

Sun, Jun 01, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - Busey-Mills Reading Room

Mon, Jun 02, 9:30am - 11:30am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Mon, Jun 02, 5:30pm - 8:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Tue, Jun 03, 10:00am - 10:25am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Tue, Jun 03, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Tue, Jun 03, 7:00pm - 8:15pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Wed, Jun 04, 10:30am - 11:00am
Campus Cooperative Preschool

Wed, Jun 04, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Satterthwaite Conference Room

Wed, Jun 04, 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Teen Open Lab - The Lewis Auditorium

Wed, Jun 04, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Wed, Jun 04, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - Cherry Alley,The Lewis Auditorium

Thu, Jun 05, 10:00am - 10:30am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Thu, Jun 05, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Fri, Jun 06, 10:00am - 10:45am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Sat, Jun 07, 9:00am - 12:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - Archives
This event is full

Sat, Jun 07, 1:00pm - 3:30pm
Mt. Hope Cemetery
This event is full

Sat, Jun 07, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Sun, Jun 08, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium
Registration opens Sunday, May 25 2025 at 9:00am

Sun, Jun 08, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - MacFarlane-Hood Reading Room