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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Kisiel showcases researched information and historical documents, and facilitates audience engagement activities around questions of the value of history and activism through themes of early Illinois struggles to keep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, Sep 08 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Tue, Sep 09 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Wed, Sep 10 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Thu, Sep 11 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Fri, Sep 12 10:00AM to 5:00PM
Sat, Sep 13 10:00AM to 5:00PM
Sun, Sep 14 12:00PM to 5:00PM

About the library

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

Upcoming events

Mon, Sep 15, 9:30am - 11:30am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Mon, Sep 15, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Tue, Sep 16, 10:15am - 10:40am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Tue, Sep 16, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Tue, Sep 16, 5:00pm - 7:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - Graphic Novel Corner

Tue, Sep 16, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - Online

Wed, Sep 17, 8:00am - 3:00pm
Leal Elementary School

Wed, Sep 17, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Satterthwaite Conference Room

Wed, Sep 17, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Wed, Sep 17, 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Teen Open Lab - The Lewis Auditorium

Wed, Sep 17, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - Online

Thu, Sep 18, 10:15am - 10:45am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Thu, Sep 18, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Thu, Sep 18, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Sixth Grade Center

Sat, Sep 20, 11:00am - 11:30am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Sat, Sep 20, 1:00pm - 4:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - Archives

Sat, Sep 20, 2:00pm - 3:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Mon, Sep 22, 9:30am - 11:30am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Mon, Sep 22, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Tue, Sep 23, 10:15am - 10:40am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Tue, Sep 23, 10:30am - 12:00pm
Soccer Planet

Tue, Sep 23, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Wed, Sep 24, 10:00am - 11:30am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Wed, Sep 24, 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Teen Open Lab - The Lewis Auditorium

Wed, Sep 24, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Wed, Sep 24, 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Urbana Early Childhood School

Thu, Sep 25, 10:15am - 10:45am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Thu, Sep 25, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Thu, Sep 25, 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Yankee Ridge Elementary School

Sat, Sep 27, 8:00am - 12:00pm
Urbana Farmer's Market

Sat, Sep 27, 11:00am - 12:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Mon, Sep 29, 9:30am - 11:30am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Mon, Sep 29, 3:30pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Tue, Sep 30, 10:15am - 10:40am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Tue, Sep 30, 12:00pm - 2:30pm
Yankee Ridge Elementary School

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

Tue, Sep 30, 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Urbana Middle School

Tue, Sep 30, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Jean Evans Archives Room

Wed, Oct 01, All day
The Urbana Free Library - Children's Area

Wed, Oct 01, 9:00am - 11:30am
Yankee Ridge Elementary School

Wed, Oct 01, 10:30am - 11:30am
The Urbana Free Library

Wed, Oct 01, 11:00am - 1:00pm
School of Social Work - 1010 W. Nevada St. Urbana, IL

Wed, Oct 01, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Wed, Oct 01, 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Teen Open Lab - The Lewis Auditorium

Wed, Oct 01, 6:30pm - 8:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Thu, Oct 02, 10:15am - 10:45am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Thu, Oct 02, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Thu, Oct 02, 5:30pm - 6:15pm
Urbana Park District Health and Wellness Center

Sat, Oct 04, 11:00am - 4:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - Cherry Alley

Sat, Oct 04, 3:00pm - 7:00pm
Downtown Urbana

Sun, Oct 05, All day
The Urbana Free Library

Sun, Oct 05, 1:30pm - 3:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Mon, Oct 06, 9:30am - 11:30am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Mon, Oct 06, 6:00pm - 8:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium
Registration opens Monday, September 22 2025 at 9:00am

Tue, Oct 07, 10:15am - 10:40am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Tue, Oct 07, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Tue, Oct 07, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Jean Evans Archives Room

Wed, Oct 08, 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Teen Open Lab - The Lewis Auditorium

Wed, Oct 08, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Thu, Oct 09, 10:15am - 10:45am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Thu, Oct 09, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Fri, Oct 10, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Cornerstone Fellowship

Fri, Oct 10, 3:45pm - 4:45pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Sat, Oct 11, 11:00am - 11:45am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Sat, Oct 11, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Sun, Oct 12, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Mon, Oct 13, 9:30am - 11:30am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Mon, Oct 13, 1:00pm - 4:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Tue, Oct 14, 10:15am - 10:40am
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Tue, Oct 14, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Tue, Oct 14, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Jean Evans Archives Room

Tue, Oct 14, 7:00pm - 9:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - The Lewis Auditorium

Tue, Oct 14, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
The Urbana Free Library - Online