Why I Established Solomon Northup Day®
“It’s a way of 'remembering' so that we, as Americans, as African-Americans don't forget how far we have come and,
to encourage youth to speak-up for human freedom and justice.
In honoring Mr. Solomon Northup we honor and bring value to Black history itself.
As we reconstruct the meaning of the past that, for African-Americans, freedom is a collective project.
As we reconstruct our memory of the past, we reconfirm our specific history and assure that it is not lost or destroyed.
We, African-Americans, are at the heart of the American experience.
The wealth that is Saratoga (as is the nation) is built on and through the struggle and labor of African-Americans.
Whites and Blacks often see the struggle differently, but it is the same struggle nevertheless."
-Renee Moore, Founder/Director, Solomon Northup Day
The Mission
The mission of the event is to publicly acknowledge the contributions of Solomon Northup along with a testament to the peculiar circumstances that placed him, and other enslaved Africans in history;
to give citizens an opportunity to appreciate first-hand how, in Solomon Northup’s case, and terrible circumstances, can lead to a greater benefit of positive change for the larger community; and
to remember that the sacrifices made have strengthened our community so we must never forget his ordeal and the ordeal of so many others; and
to honor Solomon Northup, and others in the African Diaspora, to celebrate diversity and highlight the Black community of Saratoga Springs, New York. By Renee Moore, Founder/Director, Solomon Northup Day – a Celebration of Freedom, 1999 to Present. Saratoga Springs, NY. And Plattsburgh, NY themoor78@yahoo.com (518) 596-4329.
