Album Notes

Family stories, historical and folkloric anecdotes from Quakers and African-Americans, punctuated by contemporary performances of period music. Ideal for classrooms, living rooms, or automotive travel, this riveting hour-long recording, produced with help from students and faculty at the Olney Friends School, leaves listeners inspired and better informed after revisiting a courageous period in World History.

Riding Freedom's Train is an interweaving of recordings with elderly Quakers and African-Americans as they related family stories and life histories concerning the Underground Railroad.

These testimonies, delivered by candlelight, summoned what historian Tony Cohen terms "deep history," the memories people carry through generations, sometimes unconsciously, until a song, an image, or a room full of eager listeners brings them to the surface. We wove together the recorded narratives and song excerpts to create this one-hour audio documentary, Riding Freedom's Train.

We have observed the dramatic impact of oral testimony on the learning process. Whether seeking out the stories of a particular historical movement, or just wanting to understand the nature of earlier life in our community, the past is brought to life through the words and images of those who lived it. Students of all ages are engaged by the true stories of those not usually involved in classroom study. Encourage students to enjoy the narrative arts by asking community members to school for a visit. Or better yet, send students out to interview community members in their own settings.

We are available for further consultation and in-class presentations.
--Michael and Carrie Nobel Kline, Talking Across the Lines, LLC