HEND 216
Convener: Cicero M. Fain, III, Marshall University
- "Finding the Greenup County Slave Revolt in David Walker’s Appeal," Andrew Feight, Shawnee State University
- "Researching Slavery in Eastern Kentucky and the Mystery of Dinah's Execution," Marlitta Perkins, Appalachian Freedom Heritage Tourism Initiative
- "Thinking about the Greenup Slave Revolt in Terms of Environment," Chris Leadingham, University of Kentucky
Summary: Dr. Cicero M. Fain, III will convene a panel session focusing on the Appalachian Freedom Heritage Tourism Initiative, funded by an Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) POWER Grant. Panelists include Dr. Andrew Feight, Director of Research and Outreach for the Initiative; Marlitta H. Perkins, an Outreach Specialist for Greenup County, Kentucky; and Dr. Chris Leadingham, a project consultant with the University of Kentucky.
This session will highlight ARC-supported research on Underground Railroad history in the tri-state region of Kentucky, West Virginia, and Ohio, uncovering largely forgotten chapters of resistance to slavery in Appalachia. The discussion will center on the Greenup County Slave Revolt of 1829, a long-overlooked chapter in the region’s history. Over a decade of research by Feight, Perkins, and Leadingham, along with significant new discoveries in archives from Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Louisiana, allow for a more complete story to be told and the memories of those involved commemorated.
The panel will outline plans to mark and commemorate the site of the revolt, located near the banks of Tygart Creek, close to what was once Liberty, Kentucky. The site, formerly home to Lynn Elementary School, will soon feature a public wayside marker as part of the new Appalachian Freedom Heritage Tour, which is being developed as part of the ARC POWER Grant. Each panelist will contribute by discussing their role in researching the revolt, the importance of local collaboration with residents, tourism officials, and county leaders, and how these partnerships have been essential to the success of the initiative.
