February is Black History Month and the Westbury Memorial Public Library and Historical Society of the Westburys is celebrating with a theatrical presentation titled “Running Scared, Running Free: Escape to the Promised Land.” This theatrical drama depicts the role Long Island’s Native Americans played in the Underground Railroad.
This remarkable story brings to life a fascinating piece of American history and is told from the point of view of a female slave who flees the south and heads north in her search for freedom. It highlights the ways in which Setauket’s Native Americans, along with the Shinnecocks, Quakers and abolitionists in the region, helped slaves escape through the use of codes in quilt patterns and the strength of the human spirit in the struggle for freedom.
The show takes place Sunday, Feb. 7 at the Westbury Memorial Public Library at 2:30 p.m. For more information, call the library at 516-333-0176.
