On February 25, the Department of Africology and African American Studies held its Annual Underground Railroad and Black History Conference. For the past 23 years, the conference has given a stage to researchers and contributors who have worked to uncover and honor those who formed and traversed the Underground Railroad. This year’s proceedings took place in the 10th floor lobby at Gladfelter Hall with the theme of “Courage and Perseverance.”
In their opening remarks, conference co-founders Nilgün Anadolu-Okur, professor of Africology and African American studies, and Andy Waskie, retired associate professor of German, looked back on the annual event’s humble origins.
“Twenty-three years ago, this was a topic that was not well researched, so we said, ‘Why don't we start a conference that will look into the reality, the truth, the agonies and the happiness of Black people, rather than depending on myths, which are not always facts,’” said Anadolu-Okur. “Our first conference in 2004 took place in a tiny room in the Student Activities Center—nobody would support the rental fee of a lounge.”
This year’s keynote speaker was Temple PhD alumnus Jordan Denson. His presentation delved into the origins and history of Black people living in Denson’s hometown of Chester County, Pennsylvania, home of Lincoln University, a historically Black university where Denson now teaches.
“As a kid, I used to ask my parents some of these questions: How did Black people get to Chester County? How long had they been here?” recalls Denson. “Even though I lived within five miles of Lincoln University, it felt like it was 100 miles away. Why is there such a disconnect between the Oxford, PA community and Lincoln University?”
Denson traced the African presence in the region back to the 17th century and found that some form of Underground Railroad activity eventually existed in every Pennsylvania county. Highlighting figures such as William C. Goodridge, John C. Peck and Abraham Shadd, Denson uncovered a rich history of Pennsylvania as a hub of resistance and liberty, with lineages that endure right in his backyard.
“I found information that has been personal to me, some of it involving history related to my family, others involving my home church in Atglen, and others in areas that I had driven by or walked through,” said Denson. “Despite the challenges that African communities faced in Pennsylvania, African people were able to exhibit courage and perseverance, and that still continues today.”
Donald Scott, historian and professor at the Community College of Philadelphia, delivered a presentation drawn from his 2025 book, The Montiers: From Enslavement to Paul Robeson and Beyond. In it, he tells the story of a family lineage that the children of Richard Morrey, son of Philadelphia’s first mayor, and an enslaved woman named Cremona, who went on to inherit 200 acres of land and gain her freedom after Morrey’s death.
Scott’s presentation traced the bloodline through notable descendants such as activist Cyrus Bustill, NAACP co-founder William Pickens, Sr. and notable athlete and performer Paul Robeson, using the family’s legacy to paint a picture of hope and resilience through the decades.
Before the mid-day lunch break, Africology PhD student Chinedu Agbo gave a reading of his poem “Prayer of an Unborn Nigerian.” The poem is part of Agbo’s recently released anthology, Before I Die: Nigeria of the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. (Agbo also presented his poetry at a release event the following evening at Gladfelter Hall—you can read more about his book and that event here.)
After the intermission, historian and veteran Edward G. McLaughlin spoke about years of research he had conducted surrounding Camp William Penn and the Philadelphia National Cemetery. Located in Cheltenham, PA, from 1863-1865, Camp William Penn was the largest training camp for Black soldiers in the Civil War. What began as casual research to honor the fallen and oft-overlooked soldiers of Camp William Penn snowballed as McLaughlin made discovery after discovery. “It is my contention that the Philadelphia National Cemetery has the highest number of one-time slaves buried north of the Mason-Dixon line,” said McLaughlin.
In 2017, after years of speaking engagements and petitioning the Department of Veterans Affairs, McLaughlin was instrumental in the creation of a storyboard in the Philadelphia National Cemetery honoring the United States Colored Troops regiments that fought in the Civil War. Emblematic of the conference’s theme of perseverance, McLaughlin’s tireless research has resulted in over ten books. More recently, he discovered that the cemetery is the resting place of over 125 Buffalo soldiers— more than double what it reports. He stressed the importance of honoring these soldiers’ sacrifices and keeping their memories alive, and he was emphatic about how these discoveries could have been made by anyone willing to devote the time and effort.
“I’m just an old guy—if I can do it, you can do it,” he said, “How many historic credentials do I have? None. How much money did it cost? None. How many people were in my group? None. These are historic documents; these things have to be told, and you can do it.”
The conference concluded with a panel discussion featuring graduate students from the Africology department, moderated by Tierra Lee. Check out photos from this year's conference!