Lunch & Learn: The Beacon on the Hill
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Cortland County Historical Society
25 Homer Ave
Cortland, NY 13045
Cortland County was once home to a radical institution that helped set the tone for modern higher education. New York Central College—opened in McGraw in 1848—was the first integrated college in the U.S. to hire black professors. The fact that it did so 100 years before Oberlin College, often looked to as the exemplar of black education, is remarkable and something Cortland residents should be proud of. It was a ground-breaking, in controversial, institution in other ways. The college educated blacks, whites, men, and women in the same classrooms with the same curriculum, featured a working farm and a form of cooperative education, and was funded by some of the most prominent abolitionists of the time. “A Beacon on the Hill” is a 35 minute documentary that tells the story of the school, its’ founders, and briefly profiles the prominent black educators and several students. It also illustrates some other difficulties faced by the school and the pressures that led to closure twelve years after opening. The documentary was produced for the McGraw Historical Society by local volunteers and was shown to senior curators in 2017 at the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture. The story of NYCC has been overlooked, and it deserves notice and recognition. Bring your own lunch if you wish, and we will provide dessert and beverages. This program is free and open to the public. Call 607-756-6071 for more information.