Local historians have recently identified and documented 58 people thus far connected with the Underground Railroad in local communities in a major collaborative effort to research and document anti-slavery activity in Oakland County. Findings in this groundbreaking and award-winning research project suggest that Oakland County played an important role in Michigan's Underground Railroad network in the years leading up to the Civil War. Project director and author, Leslie Pielack, will discuss some of the abolitionists and freedom seekers whose stories are interwoven with Oakland County's history right outside our door in northern Oakland County. Pielack's 80-page, An Illustrated Guide to the Underground Railroad in Oakland County, will be available for sale at the program. 

Leslie Pielack is a public historian with backgrounds in psychology and historical preservation. Her interests in both fields have led to two local history books that bring together the stories of everyday people and major historical events. She is Museum Director at the Birmingham Museum, consults in the museum field, and has a private counseling practice.