Great-granddaughter of slave conveys life lessons

WARREN — People can become enslaved if they are addicted to drugs or alcohol, uneducated or act as if they can do anything they want.

That was the message taught today to the pupils of Jefferson Elementary School by Novella Slaughter of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati.

“Slavery hasn’t stopped because we still have people who need our help,” Slaughter told them.

Slaughter was able to communicate with the pupils because of her research about her great-grandmother, Charity Craddock, who escaped slavery when she left Virginia at 12.

Slaughter recalled family members whispering about her great-grandmother.Her family’s reluctance to talk openly about her and the urging of her son led her to begin studying her roots.

From there, she created the character of Sadie Wilkins. “Miss Sadie,” as she refers to her alter ego, escaped to Canada through the Underground Railroad.

Slaughter’s re-enactment is in honor of her great-grandmother.

For the complete story, see Tuesday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com.