By the HENNEPIN HISTORY MUSEUM
On Saturday, October 11, the Hennepin History Museum will celebrate the opening of Winston: A Woman’s Fight for Freedom in Minnesota, an exhibit about the little-known story of Eliza Winston, the first and only enslaved person to successfully fight for their freedom in a Minnesota courtroom. Winston presents the biography of a courageous African American woman and the short time she spent in Minnesota. Her story not only sheds new light on local history, but transcends it, establishing significance within national history.
De facto slavery was widely accepted in antebellum Minnesota. For years, Southern enslavers forced their captives to accompany them to the free state for business and pleasure. This ended in 1860 when Eliza Winston bravely fought for liberation. Her emancipation became local lore and national propaganda, so much so that she was largely excluded from her own narrative, one that reveals a remarkable journey of determination, and sheds light on Minnesota’s complex relationship with slavery.
This namesake exhibit is based on the scholarship of exhibit co-curator Dr. Christopher P. Lehman, author and professor of the Department of Social Sciences at St. Cloud State University, and features artifacts from the museum’s permanent collection as well as newly commissioned artwork depicting Eliza by local artist Christopher Aaron Deanes.
At 11:30 am on Oct. 11th there will be a program at the museum featuring remarks by Dr. Lehman about his book It Took Courage: Eliza Winston’s Quest for Freedom, and a reading by Mary Moore Easter, poet and emerita professor from Carleton College, who will read from her book Free Papers, which was inspired by the testimony of Eliza Winston. Reservations are required for the program and a $10 donation is encouraged. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided. The exhibit will be on display until fall of 2028.
Hennepin History Museum believes that history unites communities when everyone is represented. The museum shares our communities’ stories of the diverse history of the people of Hennepin County through exhibits, public programs, a magazine, and public research library. It is located at 2303 3rd Avenue South and is open Thursdays and Fridays, 10am – 3pm; and Saturdays, 10am – 5pm. Visiting requires the use of stairs. For more information, visit: https://www.hennepinhistory.org
