Timbuctoo: NJ's Free Black Community Before the Civil War
Saturday, February 15
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Learn about Timbuctoo, an antebellum community of resilient free black people in New Jersey settled in 1826.
Timbuctoo was settled in 1826 by formerly enslaved and free Black people with the assistance of Quakers. Most Timbuctoo residents owned their land, and the community established their own school and an AME Zion Church. In this interactive presentation, we will discuss the accomplishments and challenges of Black people in an era where historical narratives are frequently restricted to stories of enslavement and deprivation. The presentation will include firsthand accounts from newspapers and legal documents to paint a compelling portrait of life in antebellum Timbuctoo.
About the presenter - Guy Weston:
Guy Weston’s current work encompasses research and public history initiatives to raise the profile of Timbuctoo, NJ, where his 4th great grandfather purchased land in 1829. These have included interpretive signage in Timbuctoo, coordination of a curriculum development project in collaboration with local teachers, and preservation efforts for the Timbuctoo cemetery, where the oldest gravestone is dated 1847. Guy Weston currently serves as Managing Director of the Timbuctoo Historical Society, is the editor of Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS) Journal, and is a Visiting Scholar at Rutgers University and. Guy has contributed articles about his research to AAHGS Journal, AAHGS News, National Genealogical Society Magazine, and New Jersey Studies. He maintains a website at www.timbuctoonj.com
Registration is requested but NOT required
The Christopher J. Killmurray Building
Located on Kingston Lane in the Monmouth Junction section between the Muncipal Building and Crossroads Middle School.