Photography by Mike DeFilippo
Natashia Griffin Actress, Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing During the night of May 21, 1855, a small group boarded a boat near downtown and shoved off into the Mississippi. Among the weary travelers was a woman named Esther and her two children, slaves of botanist Henry Shaw. Abolitionist Mary Meachum had helped escort the group, hoping the slaves could find freedom in Illinois. But while crossing to safety, the group was apprehended, and Esther was sold away from her children.
The site of this gripping account, the Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing—Missouri’s first documented and nationally recognized
Underground Railroad site—now serves as the scene for an emotional reenactment. On May 23, St. Louis native Natashia Griffin hopes to portray Esther for the third year in a row and anticipates her children—Camille, Crista, and Nehemiah—will dress in period costumes once again to reenact the heart-wrenching event.
IN HER WORDS
- I feel connected to Esther, being raised in this community, right around the corner from Henry Shaw’s garden. As a mother, I think about how heartbreaking it would be if I was separated from my children.
- Esther had been through a lot. I believe her grandmother was sold away into slavery. Now she had her own children. That was likely her reason for trying to escape: She wanted her children to be educated and free.
- To do a good job, you have to connect with who you are and where you’re from.
- Before the performance, we go to the [Underground Railroad] site. We get kind of quiet. We pray. We look across the river and think about how close they were to freedom.
- When we perform, people actually come up and hug us. They’re crying. They let us know they appreciate us coming out to tell this part of history. It’s really done something for me.
- I find my kids connect with our past through this reenactment…They wouldn’t learn it at school; that’s why I home-school them.
- We tell a little bit more of the story as the years go by… We try to add a little twist.
- In a weird way, it’s helping me heal. I’ve had a lot of tragedy in my family. It gives my family a closeness and a chance to think about the past.
- I get a lot out of this play. It’s only 30 minutes, but it means so much to me and my family.
