Today is a very special day in my dad, Dr. John F. Leeke’s life. It’s his 87th birthday and the first year publication anniversary of his memoir, American Change Agent: A Life & Legacy of Seeking Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion. In honor of both milestones, we decided to share one of the most powerful moments we experienced during our journey as co-authors. It happened a few weeks ago when we visited Hagerstown, the city our 16 Leak/Leek ancestors were enslaved in.
In the early 1840s, my great-great-great-grandparents, Peter and Catherine along with their 14 children, including my great-great-grandfather Leonard, escaped slavery by traveling over 400 miles on the Underground Railroad to freedom in Amherstburg, Canada. While writing American Change Agent, I used my great-great grandfather Leonard Leak/Leek’s obituary (see below) that was published in the Lansing State Journal, our cousin Ellen Cook’s research included in our family tree on Ancestry.com, the U.S. and Canadian Censuses, and information from the Doleman Black Heritage Museum, Amherstburg Freedom Museum, and VisitHagerstown.com to estimate how and when our brave and determined ancestors reached freedom.
This information helped us make some reasonable assumptions about our ancestors’ initial escape from slavery in Hagerstown with the support of the Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church founded by Rev. Thomas Henry in the 1830s. Rev. Henry and Ebenezer AME Church were very active in the abolitionist movement and helped African Americans plan and execute their escapes in Maryland.
Leonard Leak/Leek’s Obituary
We visited Ebenezer AME Church located on 26 W. Bethel Street while we were headed to our book reading at Next Chapter Books & Shop in Hagerstown. During our visit, my brother Matt took photos and recorded videos of us discussing the importance of knowing who you are and where your people (family) come from. We also met one of the neighbors who told us her house was originally a sanctuary for hiding African Americans who were seeking freedom.
Being able to stand on the same ground that our Leak/Leek ancestors possibly stood was humbling, powerful, and affirming. Check out the photos below.
Ananda Leeke 