In honor of Black History Month, Summa Western Reserve Hospital recently teamed up with actors from Hale Farm and Village to present a special performance of "A Fugitive’s Path" Feb. 23.

The event took place at the hospital auditorium and hosted students from Richardson Elementary School. Special guest Rev. Carl P. Wallace of Trinity United Church of Christ also addressed the audience regarding the significance of this pivotal time in the nation’s history.

"The history of the Underground Railroad is a history of our great nation coming together for freedom," said Wallace. "In the 1800s, it is estimated that more than 100,000 slaves were aided by patriotic Americans to seek freedom from their enslavement by relocating to Canada and Mexico. It is has been documented that there are more than 700 locations in Ohio of these Underground Railroad stops where ‘conductors’ risked their very lives so others may be free. This story must not die and for Summa Western Reserve Hospital to enable the students of Richardson Elementary to keep this history alive speaks to the very spirit of America, a place of freedom for all."

"A Fugitive’s Path" is a unique look into the Underground Railroad during the tumultuous time of slavery in the United States. Guests were invited to participate to see first-hand what the life of a slave was like. The emotional and vivid performance looked at the trauma experienced by those traveling the Underground Railroad to reach freedom in the Northern states.

In honor of Black History Month, Summa Western Reserve Hospital has teamed up with actors from Hale Farm and Village to present a special performance of "A Fugitive's Path" Feb. 23, noon to 1 p.m. The event is free and open to the public and will take place in the hospital auditorium at Summa Western Reserve Hospital, 1900 23^rd. St. Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44223.

A Fugitive’s Path