Minority Coalition Receives Michigan Humanities Council Grant

Cassopolis, MI December 2009

An interracial alliance of West Michigan residents, the Minority Coalition of Cass County, and the Michigan Humanities Council are collaborating to produce an outdoor mural depicting the Kentucky Raid, which took place in Cass County. The mural, entitled Sanctuary and Deliverance in Cass County, MI,
will be painted on a downtown Cassopolis building in the summer of 2010; located at 150 South Broadway, the north facing wall is jointly owned by Becky Maier of the Village Florist and Attorney Stephen Woods. Local residents and students will prepare the wall and execute the mural design under the direction of local artist, Ruth Andrews.

In 1847 a group of slave catchers from Kentucky arrived in Cass County and seized several African Americans living on land owned by Cass County Quakers. The Kentuckians were intent on taking the African Americans back to Kentucky, but an interracial group of Quakers, free African Americans and white farmers determined that the African Americans would not be returned South and turned out to protect the African Americans.

The mural collaboration, headed by Dr. Veta Tucker (Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI) and Dr. Alisea McLeod (of South Bend, IN) will deliver accurate information about the Kentucky Raid. Striving to encourage dialog, deliberation and reflection on relevant issues, the sponsors propose to offer positive values to Cass County residents and visitors in a variety of formats including an informational pamphlet and discussion guide, an internet blog; www.kentuckyraidmural.blogspot.com , and an on-line collection of personal reactions to the mural.

The mural project derives from the work of Sondra Mose-Ursery, former mayor of Vandalia, who spent over 25 years researching the underground railroad network and African American settlement in 19th century Cass County. The current alliance, including Beverly Young the current mayor of Vandalia, wants to amplify Mose-Ursery’s pioneering effort by creating a work of art that instills pride and solidarity in the residents of Cass County. The sponsors of the Sanctuary and Deliverance mural project (Chain Lake Missionary Baptist Church, the Museum at Southwestern Michigan College, Cassopolis Public Schools, Michigan Freedom Trail Commission, and the Underground Railroad Society of Cass County) will engage local residents and visitors in discussions of the relevance today of the choices faced by Cass County residents during the Kentucky Raid. For more information contact:Humanities Scholars: Dr Alisea McLeod ( ) and Dr, Veta Tucker ( 616-331-8099), Artist, Ruth Andrews ( ) Project Director, Marty Kaszar (269-445-2431), or Scott Hirko of the Michigan Humanities Council (517-372-0029). Sanctuary and Deliverance in Cass County, Mi is made possible in part by a grant from the Michigan Humanities Council, an affiliate f the National Endowment for the Humanities.