NEW ORLEANS FIRST SLAVE PEN MARKER

I am Edna Jordan Smith, a former public school teacher of American and Louisiana history, as well as a librarian and founder of the Afro-Louisiana Historical and Genealogical Society.  However, I have chosen to continue my work exclusively in the history of Louisiana.  

I decided to follow my interest  and succeeded in locating the descendants of Solomon Northup, as well as those  who purchased him and those who helped to free him.  In April 2014,  Loyola University of New Orleans granted me space for a ceremony for the gathering of descendants and some members of the cast of the movie "12 Years A Slave".

Northup was a free man of color from New York and was sold into slavery in New Orleans in 1841.  His story is chronicled in his 1853 memoir, "12 Years A Slave".   Since I have located the site of the slave pen, the Lt. Governor of Louisiana  has granted me permission and space to install  the first slave pen marker in the city.

This amount will assist  in paying for the manufactoring of the marker, its installation,  an unveiling ceremony : programs, photographers, security, musicians, city permits, etc.

The unveiling ceremony will be this Fall.  The date will be announced later.