To save runaways from slavery who were trying to make lives in the North “illegally,” local Vigilance Committees formed. They kept watch for slave catchers, secreted away those in danger, and posted placards that outed slave catchers, sometimes hounding them till they left town. - ThreadSky

profgabrielle.bsky.social • 2 days ago

To save runaways from slavery who were trying to make lives in the North “illegally,” local Vigilance Committees formed. They kept watch for slave catchers, secreted away those in danger, and posted placards that outed slave catchers, sometimes hounding them till they left town.

Reposted from Bolts

A group in San Diego is patrolling neighborhoods to identify potential ICE presence. They keep watch for vehicles that may belong to federal agencies, and use livestreams, radios, and social media to keep communities informed.

Learn more: boltsmag.org/how-vol...

Comments

roguishjrt.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Looks like Tom Homan gave up on Chicago

annabel-lee.bsky.social•2 days ago

Time to revive the underground railroad.

deltron7.bsky.social•2 days ago

History repeats itself.....

canray.bsky.social•2 days ago

Because we never f***ing learn.

rayvnn.bsky.social•2 days ago

I would totally do this. I'm great at spy mission. Fuck those guys thinking they are law enforcement.

nds1015.bsky.social•2 days ago

This warms my heart. Protect ALL people 🫶🏻

profgabrielle.bsky.social•2 days ago

Vigilance committees were “based primarily in northeastern cities, defended Black neighborhoods from police and slave catchers. They helped as many as 10,000 refugees, building an elaborate network of sympathizers across boundaries of nation, gender, race, and class.” https://asalh.org/the-most-absolute-abolition-runaways-vigilance-committees-and-the-rise-of-revolutionary-abolitionism-1835-1861/

profgabrielle.bsky.social•2 days ago

Contemporary historians rarely call these freedom seekers runaways, a term that fixes their identities in slavery. “Self emancipated” better recognizes the enormous courage it took to leave family and friends and travel dangerous terrain to start new lives in what they hoped was free territory.

sally1007.bsky.social•2 days ago

👀

stevehuneryager.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Love this!

benecal.bsky.social•2 days ago

What did people call the slave catchers, derogatorially?
I haven't heard a term that has stuck yet for people who participate with Trump's anti-civil rights policies. Everything so far is derived, Nazis, brownshirts, fascists. I keep wondering when a homegrown term will emerge...

sfdegraff.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Kidnappers

goblyn.bsky.social•2 days ago

Fredrick Douglas referred to them as "man-stealers." A lot of people openly referred to them as kidnappers.

ellocust.bsky.social•2 days ago

I think John Brown called them “corpses.”

bowreader.bsky.social•2 days ago

I like that - it has legs. They forget that it isn't only RWNJs who are armed and skilled in self-defense. "Corpses" ftw.

hellomanders.bsky.social•2 days ago

Currently it’s the cops 🤷‍♂️

robppm319.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Somehow I think Canada is going to be dragged into this again.
'Peace, order and good gov't,' sounds boring but right now works better than 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.'

cheers to all in the battle for human rights.

tinker-player.bsky.social•2 days ago

Those lawn jockeys you see in people’s yards were once a sign that the property was safe to hide at.

nclud.bsky.social•2 days ago

I’m 100% in agreement with your sentiment

theywrestletest.bsky.social•2 days ago

I need more people to post and out local police who are complicit with ICE. ICE agents have no shame or moral compass and nothing to lose, but local cops and sheriff’s deputies do. Without their support ICE is far less effective, they need to be exposed in their communities.

profusional.bsky.social•2 days ago

Won't be long before some of these people get arrested for absolutely nothing and Bondi starts w thinly veiled threats to anyone who might be like them.

ellocust.bsky.social•2 days ago

That sounds like a lovely way to live. Let’s do it.

cassandergrant.bsky.social•19 hours ago

Err, it might be worthwhile to address the loaded nature of the term "Vigilance Committee", considering the Klan & enforcers of "Sun down town" attacks also called themselves Vigilance Committees
The Council of Conservative Citizens still unofficially claim that label today

realt-man.bsky.social•10 hours ago

Worth remembering that Trump's MO is getting people to fight each other so he can play dictator.

rorywrites.bsky.social•2 days ago

Protect your neighbors, they are not counting on us to protect each other because they wouldn’t protect their neighbors.

humanspareparts.bsky.social•2 days ago

and we're back here again. remarkable really

loozcoilz.bsky.social•2 days ago

History always repeats itself.

rl18.bsky.social•2 days ago

The language on the car says it all!

m01r4.bsky.social•2 days ago

sometimes it feels like there is a secret history of decency

floridavoter.bsky.social•22 hours ago

They should use the acronym NICE

orangeswan.bsky.social•2 days ago

Love it. Turn the tables on the predators and make them the ones who have to live in fear.

kumiko-ide.bsky.social•2 days ago

It’s also why ICE agents are increasingly covering their faces.

fangirling0nly.bsky.social•2 days ago

In fact the only reason we have this one on video is because folks had been monitoring ICE activity there for days, and the witnesses immediately contacted a local hotline. Otherwise we might never have known what happened to Rumesya and bring so much legal pressure in her defense.

unlawfulentries.bsky.social•2 days ago

Cc @schoeppner.bsky.social @gauthamrao.bsky.social 👆

gauthamrao.bsky.social•2 days ago

It is quietly happening in many places.

schoeppner.bsky.social•2 days ago

Even in small rural communities.

gauthamrao.bsky.social•2 days ago

*especially!

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