Join Looking for Lincoln’s Speaker’s Bureau!
Looking for Lincoln (LFL) is creating a curated Speaker’s Bureau to share stories connected to the Underground Railroad in Illinois paying special attention to the experience of both enslaved and free African Americans in Illinois prior to 1865. The Speakers will travel to communities within the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area, a 43-county area in central Illinois. Presentations will take place concurrent with the scheduled tenure of a travelling exhibit sponsored by LFL about the Underground Railroad in Illinois.
Speakers will be paid a flat rate of $400 per program. To learn more about the National Heritage Area and Looking for Lincoln Communities visit: lookingforlincoln.org.
Program Guidelines
Looking for Lincoln seeks programs that engage general audiences on a wide variety of Underground Railroad topics. Programs must relate to the Underground Railroad and connect to the experience of enslaved and/or free African Americans in Illinois prior to 1865. Programs may be presented in a variety of formats including but not limited to
- Lectures
- First-person programs
- Musical performances
...or other creative ideas
We invite you to propose other formats. Qualifying programs may range from a minimum of thirty minutes to a maximum of one hour in length. Presenters will be contacted by organizations hosting the Underground Railroad exhibit to schedule a program at a mutually agreeable time for the set rate of $400. Presenters may choose which commitments they accept. If accepted, speakers agree to serve on the Speakers Bureau for two years September 2024-August 2026.
Examples of potential program topics include
- Stories of freedom seekers and Underground Railroad Conductors in Illinois
- Illinois Fugitive Slave laws and Black Codes
- Illinois Colored Conventions; the Illinois Anti-Slavery Society
- Underground Railroad Routes in Illinois
Feel free to propose other topics
How to Apply Please complete the following application and send it along with a head shot, short bio, source list for program and a video of the program.
For more information, contact Heather Feezor at 217-492-8366.
Completed applications should be emailed to Heather Feezor at hfeezor@lookinforlincoln.org.