On Thursday, Jan. 26, LancasterHistory, 230 N. President Ave., will host its first Regional History Colloquium of 2023, featuring a lecture provided by Andrew Diemer. The event will open its doors at 5 p.m., followed by Diemer's lecture at 5:30 p.m.

Diemer is an author and a history professor at Towson University, and he will discuss his most recent book, titled "Vigilance: The Life of William Still, Father of the Underground Railroad." The book describes the life of William Still and the role that he played during the American Civil War. "(The book) focuses on his whole life, but heavily concentrates on the Underground Railroad," said Diemer. "Looking at the Underground Railroad is essential; it shapes the rest of Still's life."

Still was born in New Jersey in 1821 to parents who had escaped slavery on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Still's father was a former slave who purchased his own freedom, and his mother was a former slave who fled the South. "Still's family drove his involvement in the Underground Railroad and the pursuit of civil rights," said Diemer.

Diemer was first intrigued by Still's story while writing his first book, an academic study of free black communities struggling with citizenship rights. Diemer's perception was that Still only aided with the freeing of slaves through the Underground Railroad and out of the public eye, but he was surprised to discover that Still often gave speeches and wrote public letters to support the cause.

"Still doesn't place himself in the front of the stories that he tells," said Diemer. "He wrote an enormous book later in his life that highlighted the fugitive slaves themselves, instead of those such as himself who helped them." Although the nature of Still's work is different from that of Harriet Tubman, who escaped slavery herself and physically helped to free slaves in the South, it was just as significant, Diemer noted. Still built networks of activists and developed their communication channels, which proved to be instrumental in the struggle.

"The fight against slavery and the various forms that it takes are of particular interest to me," Diemer said. "My book shows how expansive this struggle is." Still was primarily focused on freeing slaves, but he helped with a variety of other things such as recruiting soldiers for the Union and helping people find work after the war. Still was heavily involved with desegregation movements and fought for black Americans' right to vote.

"One important thing to take away from Still's life is the importance of telling stories," Diemer said. "Not only did he help fugitive slaves, but when the time came to tell their stories, he made sure the story was told in a way that gave justice to them."

The lecture will be free and open to the public in person and streamed online via Zoom. To register to attend in person, call 717-392-4633. To attend virtually, visit https://tinyurl.com/stilllecture.