This lecture challenged the familiar story that places the civil rights movement in the South and centers it on a few national leaders. Focusing on Ohio, it examined how the state constructed its own color line - and how African Americans fought to dismantle it, from abolitionists organizing in Akron to struggles for police accountability in Cincinnati. By uncovering this longer history, the talk highlighted why fighting for freedom and democracy in Ohio still matters today.

Event Details:
Thursday, April 30, 2026
Arthur C. Johnson Auditorium, Ohio History Center

Presented by:
Hasan Kwame Jeffries
Associate Professor of History
College of Arts and Sciences Alumni

Sponsored by:
The Ohio History Connection
The Ohio State University Department of History Clio Society