God’s Free-Man, An American Tale of Perseverance: A Life of Service
Time
Wednesday, August 9
7 PM
Location
Carriage House Theater
About the Program
Join us as Ted Freeman discusses his book God’s Free-Man, a deeply personal narrative that combines family and history. Freeman’s work challenges past perceptions that his ancestors—Harry and Kate Freeman—were enslaved when they arrived to co-found modern-day Auburn with John Hardenbergh in 1793. What is certain, however, is their central place not only in establishing the African American community of the new settlement, but in building it from the ground-up. Freeman follows his family through the generations as they left their mark on Auburn’s storied cityscape.
This event is co-sponsored by the Cayuga Museum and the Seward House Museum.
Admission
The book talk and signing event is free, although donations to the sponsoring museums will be greatly appreciated. Books are available to purchase at the event. Reservations are strongly encouraged! Click the button below to make a reservation.
Virtual Access
If you are unable to make it to the event in person, this program will be recorded on Zoom. Reach out to the museum at geoffrey@cayugamuseum.org to receive a link.
About the Author
Ted Freeman is an honored alumnus of Villanova University and received one of their highest awards available to alumni in 1984, the Medallion of Excellence, the second African American to receive the award. The first being Chief Justice Robert Nix of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. He began his career working with street gangs in West Philadelphia at the Haverford Community Center, 39th and Wallace. He was then led to return to Auburn, New York, as the director of the Booker T. Washington Community Center in his old neighborhood. Freeman has been involved with the National Urban League Movement for the past forty-six years. Starting in Rochester, NY, he became the president and CEO of the Urban League of Hudson County in Jersey City, New Jersey. After retirement, he relocated to Orlando, Florida, and became a board member of the Metropolitan Orlando Urban League.
For Freeman, family is his everything. He is a husband, married to his pillar of strength, Rhonda L. Freeman, a father, a grandfather, and a great-grandfather. He has one other previously published book, Acquiring Wisdom.
