The Dakota County Historical Society will host a Mendota After Hours presentation at the Sibley Historic Site on Friday, Nov. 15 at 6 p.m. The program “It Took Courage: Eliza Winston's Quest for Freedom" will be presented by Dr. Christopher Lehman. Admission for this event is $20 per person, or $15 for members of DCHS and the Minnesota Historical Society.
The Sibley Historic Site is located at 1357 Sibley Memorial Highway in Mendota. Registration is limited, so contact the Sibley Site at 651-452-1596 to reserve a spot. For more information or to reserve online, please visit the Dakota County Historical Society website.
In 1860, Eliza Winston, an enslaved woman from Mississippi, escaped her enslavers while traveling through Minnesota and eventually secured her freedom through legal appeal. In his book "It Took Courage: Eliza Winston's Quest for Freedom," Lehman uncovers the story of her 42-year-long struggle to gain freedom. Join us to discuss how Winston's remarkable story allows us to appreciate the legacy of slavery in Minnesota.
Lehman is a professor of ethnic studies at St. Cloud State University and the author of six books, including "Slavery's Reach: Southern Slaveholders in the North Star State," which won a Minnesota Book Award for Minnesota Nonfiction.