Several members of the John P. Parker Historical Society recently visited the Ohio Historical Society, where we attended a  performance by Anthony Gibbs. Mr. Gibbs portrayed John Parker. His performance was wonderful: dynamic and inspiring.  And what’s more: his portrayal was historically accurate! Something we very much appreciated!

Anthony used excerpts from John Parker’s Autobiography. There were several questions from the audience about John Parker from those wanting to know more about this extraordinary man.

Anthony can do this portrayal for schools and other groups- we highly recommend it!

More about this program:

The Promised Land: John Parker and the Underground Railroad (Grade levels K – 12)

Travel back in time and experience the important abolitionist movement and struggle for freedom within the Underground Railroad. Meet John Parker, ex-slave, inventor, entrepreneur, and conductor on the Underground Railroad.  Learn all about the songs, signs, and dangers of escaping the “wretched” institution of slavery.  John Parker will have audiences on the edge of their seats as he recalls his experiences helping hundreds of enslaved men, women, and children cross the Ohio River into a new life of freedom.

• Duration: 45 – 60 min.

To read more about Anthony , and his other portrayals such as Civil War Soldiers, Paul Laurence Dunbar, and some programs for smaller children, please visit his website:  http://www.historicimpressions.org/index.html or

the Greater Columbus Arts Council at  http://www.gcac.org/edu/ais_detail.php?artist=123#nar . The second link includes information on programs available, prices, etc…

Enjoy!

The John P. Parker Historical Society will hold their annual meeting at 1:30pm, March 21st.

Business will be conducted, and then our speaker will be featured at 2:00pm

This years speaker is Brian Shellum, author of two books on Charles Young- the most recent is :

Black Officer in a Buffalo Soldier Regiment

The book is:

“Brian Shellum traces the development, experiences, and extraordinary accomplishments of a pioneering black officer who broke through one racial barrier after another in the decades straddling the turn of the twentieth century. The author follows Charles Young on his far-flung adventures with the Buffalo Soldiers on the Great Plains and in Sequoia National Park, leading his troopers in combat in the Philippines and Mexico, and his service in Haiti and Liberia as the first African American military attaché. Shellum places in the context of his times a leader who came to epitomize African American manhood. In so doing the author reveals a true hero to his country and his race.”—Floyd Thomas, curator at the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center

You can read more about Brian Shellum at:

http://www.brianshellum.com/

A Bike Trail That Traces the Way to Freedom

“AMID the farmland just north of the Ohio River, thickets of sumac and maple trees hem the edge of a one-lane road, just as they might have lined the way to freedom two centuries ago…”
Read more at the Times

The Parker House will be closed on Sundays in May.