Radio Curious tours the town of New Bedford, Massachusetts, a safe haven for black slaves seeking refuge from the south through the underground railroad during the 1800's. National Park Ranger Mark Mello is the tour guide.
Barry Vogel, Attorney and Counselor, is the Host and Producer of Radio Curious. Christina Aanestad is the Assistant Producer.
New Bedford, Massachusetts, a sea port located in the southeast corner of Massachusetts, at the base of Cape Cod is the locale of our program. Early in New Bedfordâs history a group of Quakers from Boston moved there and âNew Bedford became a safe haven for formerly enslaved African-Americans" who had been able to escape bondage.
The stories of those who safely arrived in New Bedford on the Underground Railroad are presented at the 34 acre New Bedford National Historical Park in the Old Town section of New Bedford.
This two part series on the New Bedford Underground Railroad with National Park Ranger Mark Mello was recorded on September 2, 2016, with the sound of wind and street traffic in the background. Part one begins with a historical perspective of the Underground Railroad and the way in which New Bedford, Massachusetts was a safe haven for former slaves.
The books Mark Mello recommends are âFugitive's Gibraltar: Escaping Slaves and Abolitionism in New Bedford, Massachusetts,â by Kathryn Grover; "Whale Hunt," by Nelson Cole Haley; and "Leviathan," by Philip Hoare.
Radio Curious is a half-hour, weekly, long-form interview program, now in it's 28th year. We interview people on a curiously wide variety of topics about life and ideas. Our website is www.radiocurious.org. If your station airs Radio Curious please let us know curious@radiocurious.org, we will add you to our list of syndicate stations. We also welcome questions, feedback and program ideas. Radio Curious 280 N. Oak St. Ukiah, Ca 95482. (707) 462-6541.
The Underground Railroad in New Bedford, Massachusetts