Margaret Garner: From History to the Fictional Story of Beloved
Tuesday, March 11 at 6:30 p.m. in the Oberlin Public Library, Community Room
Join the Oberlin Heritage Center for a program exploring the tragic and powerful story of Margaret Garner, an enslaved woman whose desperate act of resistance inspired Toni Morrison to write Beloved. Garner, who escaped with her family from Kentucky to Cincinnati in January 1856, was placed in an unimaginable situation when faced with the threat of being captured: having her children be returned to a life of enslavement or doing whatever it took to spare them from such existence, including taking their lives. The story and trial of Margaret Garner ignited fierce debates on slavery and humanity, and highlights the devastation brought about by the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and how states like Ohio became critical battlegrounds in the fight for freedom.
This program includes mature content and may not be suitable for young audiences. The program is free to the public and offered as part of the Big Read program series. Light refreshments will be served thanks to support from the library.