For Black History Month, Janson Pays Homage to Conductors of the Underground Railroad

In honor of Black History Month, Janson Media highlights a film that documents the most celebrated conductors of the 'Underground Railroad' movement. In a recent Video Librarian review of Whispers of Angels: A Story of the Underground Railroad(1 x 60'), the docudrama was highly recommended for its superb overview of key figures such as Harriet Tubman and Thomas Garrett. The award winning feature provides educational information about the history of slavery and all the circumstances and brave individuals that helped to ensure that slaves could find their way to freedom.

The Abolitionists who secretly helped African-American slaves to reach freedom north of the Mason-Dixon Line were called 'conductors,' safe-houses were 'stations,' and those who maintained them were 'stationmasters.' People who paid for an interstate escape route known as the Underground Railroad were 'stockholders,' while anyone who kept watch for enraged slaveholders or bounty hunters was known as a 'pilot.' Indeed there was an air of Mission: Impossible surrounding pre-Civil War efforts to assist Southern blacks risking their lives for liberty, a story expertly chronicled in this superb overview of the Underground Railroad and several key figures in its success: Harriet Tubman, of course, but also William Still, a former slave who headed up the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society, and his longtime friend Thomas Garrett, a white Delaware Quaker who personally aided some 1,400 slaves. Also featuring Blair Underwood and Ed Asner in historical simulations, this excellent documentary is highly recommended. Editor"s Choice.

Long-format interviews with prominent historians blend with dramatic reenactment to create a powerful story about the fight to end slavery. Actors Edward Asner and Blair Underwood portray the two most prominent abolitionists on the eastern line of the Underground Railroad, Thomas Garrett and William Still. Bearing a remarkable resemblance to Thomas Garrett, Asner reenacts the famous courtroom scene in 1848 in which Garrett foreshadows the Civil War and firmly declares to redouble his efforts in fighting for true freedom in America. In spite of the court"s imposition of a crippling financial punishment, Garrett"s ideals were not altered; his clandestine activities continued for many years even during the War. Reading documented text in the form of letters exchanged by Thomas Garrett and William Still (a free black abolitionist in Philadelphia), Asner and Underwood bring to life the fascinating working relationship between the two men and those they helped. Underwood, as William Still, meets in secret with the frightened fugitives who pass through his Anti-Slavery Society Offices in Philadelphia on their dangerous journeys to the north.

Whispers of Angels: A Story of the Underground Railroad is a proud winner of the &'World Gold Medal&' for History Programming at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival, and the &'Chris Award Statuette&' at the Columbus International Film & Video Festival.

Video Librarian is the video review magazine for public, school, academic, and special libraries, as well as video fans who are interested in a wider variety of titles than what"s found in the average video store. Written by staff, librarians, teachers, and film critics, Video Librarian offers over 225 critical reviews per issue, alerting readers to upcoming new releases of special-interest, documentary, and video movie titles.