No. 33: Larry Kezele and Yvonne Giles - The Freedom Train Monument

Art Throb

Larry Kezele, owner of Ruth Hunt Candy and the early champion for the soon-to-be installed Freedom Train Monument, and Yvonne Giles, Historian and Researcher also known as The African American History Guru, talk about the lives of the enslaved couple Lewis and Harriet Hayden and how once escaped from Lexington to the north, they became freedom fighters for those looking to escape via the Underground Railway.
Larry talks about how the memorial project initially was conceived by Sherry Maddoc ten years ago. Its bumpy way forward after she returned to Australia, then how it has recently gained traction and funding, and the process and selection of a sculptor as well as where the project stands today.
Yvette talks about the Haydens, their remarkable story of escape, their lives before and after breaking out of bondage, and how incredibly important it is to keep their story alive today and celebrate their quest for freedom as a fundamental human right.
Hayden, when asked why he wanted to be free, simply responded - "Because I am a man."

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