Article in Syracuse Alumni magazine

There is an article about me in the Syracuse Alumni magazine. My daughter Martha wrote it. read the article

Joan Southgate '52 lives in Cleveland, Ohio, where she is a social worker, organizer, and activist. In 2002, at age 73, she walked more than 500 miles from southern Ohio to southeastern Canada to honor the anonymous heroes of the Underground Railroad (UGRR) who, at great personal risk, helped fugitive slaves to freedom in the northern United States and in Canada. Since then, the longtime activist has helped found Restore Cleveland Hope, a UGRR education center that will be located in the last remaining house in Cleveland with any connection to the UGRR. We wanted to know how Southgate decided to make this journey, as well as a second one in May. She told her story to her daughter, novelist Martha Southgate.

-Syracuse Magazine Fall /Winter 2009

Underground Railroad Freedom Festival

David Blackburn, of the University of Buffalo invited me to speak at their Underground Railroad Freedom Festival.

I asked our friend Carmen Magri to drive up and we had a great time at the festival and surrounding Underground Railroad sites in Niagra Falls. Since Niagra Falls is close to my home town, Syracuse NY where my sister Letitia Lives, I asked if she would come along. She and her best friend Marilyn Solomon met us up near Niagra. My family has a long history with the school. My father, brother, sister and I attended Syracuse University.

Carmen's shop is Venetian Merchant Foods.