At this free community event, historian and researcher Dionne Patterson will explain the connection between the Underground Railroad and Valley Forge Park. This event, to be held at 7 p.m. on May 7 in Penn State Great Valley's conference center, is part of Valley Forge Park Alliance's speaker series. Guests may register here.
Patterson, an education consultant and founder of UGR3DAY Underground Railroad Experiences Inc., is dedicated to illuminating the antebellum era by exploring the lives of both free and enslaved African Americans, as well as the multifaceted history of the Underground Railroad and its landscapes, structures and people who exemplified faith, resilience and community.
Through her work, Patterson has forged partnerships with state organizations, parks, genealogical societies, school districts and museums across the Mid-Atlantic region. She has developed programs for institutions of higher learning, the state of Delaware, and national and state parks.
She offers immersive experiences through hands-on workshops, curriculum development, walking tours, seminars and events, all focused on African American narratives. As an education consultant, she is recognized as a subject-matter expert in trauma, cultural competency, diversity, equity, inclusion and child development.
Patterson's expertise has led her to collaborate with Delaware State University as a content consultant and storyteller for their documentary "Women of Vision, Women of Purpose," which explores the Underground Railroad. She was featured in "North to Freedom," an original documentary from WSKG public television. Through UGR3DAY, Patterson writes and produces a quarterly magazine that delves into Underground Railroad travels, Black history and genealogy.
