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Kris
Lee (right) and Larry Hamilton (left) at the African Jackson Cemetery
in Rossville, Ohio.
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Edison State
presents: “African Americans in Piqua, Then and Now”
Piqua author and historian Larry Hamilton and Piqua City Commissioner
Kris Lee will be at Edison State Community College on Wednesday, June
27 at 1:00 p.m., to discuss “African Americans in Piqua, Then and Now.”
Hamilton will be recounting the pre-Civil War story of John Randolph.
Randolph, a slave owner, directed in his will that upon his death, his
300+ slaves would be freed and provided with 2,000 acres of rich
farmland in Mercer County. These former slaves, or freedmen, traveled
across Virginia, down the Ohio River and up the canal by boat to the
land that had been given to them.
In Mercer County, they were met by hostile farmers and driven back into
their boat. Some settled outside of Piqua in Rossville. These freedmen
became educated and skilled in various occupations. They prospered, and
many left the Piqua area to seek their fortunes elsewhere.
Kris Lee is a descendent of one of these freedmen. Lee was recently
elected as a Piqua City Commissioner—the second African American to
hold this position.
Lee has a long list of academic achievements, including two associate
degrees; one from Edison State in paralegal studies, and one from
Wright State in communication, an MBA from Bluffton University, and an
MA in Organizational Management from Bluffton. He has served 27
years in the Piqua Police Department; 14 years teaching at Edison State
with 9 years in the Edison State Law Enforcement Academy.
Lee and his wife are raising five children plus a niece and a nephew.
He has spent years coaching area teams in basketball, tennis, and
soccer, and has served on the parish council at St. Marys, Ohio.
The public is welcome to attend this event. Free parking is available
in the East Hall lot at Edison State Community College. The seminar
will be held in East Hall, Room 458.
For further information or if you plan to bring a large group, call Dr.
Vivian Blevins at 937.778.3815
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