Mapping the Delaware Diaspora: Hetty Saunders and the Geographies of Freedom Seeking

• Monday, February 23, 2026 @ 7:00 pm

Join us online on Monday, February 23 to explore the life and writings of Esther “Hetty” Saunders, a Black woman born enslaved in Delaware who sought and secured freedom across the Delaware River in southern New Jersey. Through her poetry and personal journey, participants will consider how Saunders’ life reflects the broader Delaware diaspora and the intertwined landscapes of enslavement, refuge, and creativity that linked the two states.

Taylor Brookins, a Historian for the National Park Service’s History & Preservation Assistance program, will discuss Saunders’ life and literary work. A PhD candidate in the History Department at the University of Delaware, Brookins’ research focuses on the 19th century Black lived experience in the Mid-Atlantic region, and particularly that of Black women.

Mapping the Delaware Diaspora is an online series that puts the Delaware Historical Society’s collections into conversation with other repositories around the nation to demonstrate the breadth of Delawarean stories available to researchers and learners. These hour-long Zoom events with cultural heritage professionals and researchers will expose audiences to research methods, new stories of Delawareans, and the wealth of resources available to them in museums, libraries, and archives.

Tickets $5. Register here: https://dhs.givecloud.co/mapping-hetty-saunders

Zoom link will be provided after registration.

Presented by Delaware Historical Society.

History & Culture Lectures & Workshops Virtual

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