Bahá’ís of Benton and Linn Counties, Oregon

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Musical about escaping slavery raises consciousness, inspires conversation and action

Members of the cast of Henry Box Brown act out a scene from the musical, which is being staged at the world-famous Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Members of the cast of Henry Box Brown act out a scene from the musical, which is being staged at the world-famous Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland.

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20 August 2018

EDINBURGH, Scotland — Determined to break free from the shackles of slavery, Henry Brown undertook a dangerous journey. The year was 1849, and he was one of the 3 million enslaved people living in the United States. He shipped himself in a wooden crate from a plantation in the southern state of Virginia to the northern city of Philadelphia. Slavery was already outlawed there, and a group of abolitionists received him, helping secure his liberation.

History would remember him as Henry “Box” Brown.

This month, his extraordinary story has been vividly brought to life at Edinburgh’s world-famous Fringe Festival. A new stage musical, Henry Box Brown, is thrilling and challenging audiences during a 21-day run at the city’s prestigious Assembly Rooms.

For the full story, click here.