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Colgate University’s Upstate Institute, Morrisville State College’s Johnson Institute, and the Smithfield Community Association have teamed up to launch the Abolitionist Hall of Fame and Museum in the hamlet of Peterboro, N.Y.

In addition to honoring the historical figures responsible for eradicating slavery in the United States in the 1800s, the initiative will bring attention to modern battles against injustice around the world and educate the public about human rights issues.

The Abolitionist Hall of Fame’s board of advisers, dubbed the Cabinet of Freedom, will meet for a series of events Saturday (10/16) designed to formally kick off the initiative. The day will feature a discussion of the project’s purpose, and a concert of activist John Brown’s ballads.

“As a member of the Central New York community and an enthusiastic supporter of diversity, it is important for Colgate to recognize the historical significance of our region and the contributions of our forebears,” said Jill Tiefenthaler, the university’s associate dean of the faculty and director of the Upstate Institute. “We are thrilled that we’ll play a role in shining the spotlight on the men and women that made our multicultural society what it is today.”

In the coming months, Colgate, Morrisville, and Smithfield will each select for induction into the hall of fame a person from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries who represents a commitment to abolition and/or human rights.

The group will also finalize plans for the hall of fame and museum, and coordinate a symposium on Gerrit Smith, a philanthropist and social reformer who played a key role in the U.S. abolitionist movement.

Peterboro was the lifelong home of Smith, and his house served for more than three decades as an important “station” in the Underground Railroad network. In dedicating his personal fortune, his home, and his political career to ridding the country of slavery, Smith attracted to Peterboro and the Central New York region many individuals prominent in that movement. 

Colgate’s and Morrisville’s ties to Smith’s hometown and the region make them attractive partners in the initiative, said Dorothy H. Willsey, chair of the Smithfield Community Association Abolition Hall of Fame Committee. “The credibility and academic reputation that each institution brings to the table will really help get this project up and running,” she said.

“The spirit of this initiative transcends geographical borders,” said Jaime Nolan, director of Colgate’s ALANA Cultural Center.  She added that the university’s participation in the project illustrates its larger commitment to diversity. “We hope this shows the world how each one of us is capable of incredible acts of beauty and courage.”

Tiefenthaler and Kia King, student fellow with the Upstate Institute, will serve as members of the Cabinet of Freedom. Other participants will include Norman K. Dann, professor emeritus of the social sciences at Morrisville State; Delores M. Walters, assistant professor of anthropology and philosophy at Northern Kentucky University and member of the executive committee of the Institute for Freedom Studies; Anthony Cohen, founder of the Menare Foundation, a national non-profit organization dedicated to the documentation, preservation, and restoration of Underground Railroad safe-houses and environments; and John Stauffer, professor of English and American literature and language at Harvard University, among others.