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Pennsylvania's "Quest For Freedom" Program Kicks Off On Historic Juneteenth Program to Highlight Key African-American Historical Attractions, Underground Railroad Sites

Press Release

Release provided by Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Tourism Office

PENNSYLVANIA’S ‘QUEST FOR FREEDOM’ PROGRAM KICKS OFF ON HISTORIC JUNETEENTH
Program to Highlight Key African-American Historical Attractions, Underground Railroad Sites

HARRISBURG, June 19, 2007 - On June 19, 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, Union soldiers, led by Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas, with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. This date is now celebrated throughout the United States as “Juneteenth,” a critical date in African-American history.

Quest for Freedom

Photo by J. Smith for GPTMC

This “Juneteenth,” Pennsylvania is capturing its own piece of that history with the stories of African-American soldiers who fought in the American Revolution and Civil War, stories of freedom-seekers along the Underground Railroad passages in the state, and stories of abolitionists who risked their lives in the “Quest for Freedom.” Visitor bureaus across Pennsylvania have developed comprehensive networks of lodging and attraction partners, along with all the information for visitors to take in the historic locations across the state, hear stories from re-enactors firsthand and learn about their own family histories along the way.

“The ‘Quest for Freedom’ program is the culmination of some very collaborative efforts across the state to create the first complete visitor experience in Pennsylvania to explore African-American history,” said Mickey Rowley, deputy secretary of tourism for the Department of Community and Economic Development. “Our local visitor bureaus and official Heritage Region partners have done a tremendous job in uncovering some fascinating places and historical facts.”

Highlights of the “Quest for Freedom” program in Pennsylvania include mapping a series of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal (Bethel A.M.E.) churches across the state that were once critical Underground Railroad stops, the Blairsville Area Underground Railroad Project, the John Brown Tannery and Museum in Guys Mills, Little Africa in Warren County, Underground Railroad travel packages offered through VisitPittsburgh, and the “Freedom Journeys” interactive map stretching from Gettysburg to Philadelphia.

Regional tourism partners across the state will launch their individual “Quest for Freedom” travel packages, programs and itineraries today to coincide with the “Juneteenth” celebration. Information on all of the regional activities can be found on the state’s official tourism Web site, www.visitPA.com.

The Pennsylvania Tourism Office, under the state Department of Community and Economic Development, is dedicated to fulfilling the needs and aspirations of travelers by presenting them with the information and resources they need to plan and enjoy the activities, attractions and destinations that are uniquely Pennsylvania. For more information about Pennsylvania’s tourism industry, go to www.visitPA.com, or call (800) VISIT PA.

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CONTACT:

Carrie Fischer Lepore
(717) 720-1301

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