Macon Magazine

Editor's Letter Welcome to The Women's Issue "Their determination to help other people overcame their desire to be comfortable." — Peggy Trotter Dammond Preacely, descendent of freedom seeker and abolitionists Ellen and William Craft T HE JOURNEY OF 1,000 MILES TO FREEDOM began in Macon, Georgia, on December 21, 1848, for Ellen and William. Spoiler alert: It lasted far longer than 1,000 miles. The work they started continues today. In an act of gallant defiance, she disguised her gender, race, and class. Dressed as a man, she became the white enslaver to his enslaved worker — her husband — William. The two set out on a daring escape in broad daylight: for freedom in the North, to Philadelphia and eventually Boston, by way of steamboats, carriages, and trains. A er moving another 1,000 miles criss-crossing New England and uprooting their lives each time, they fled to London, England. The passage of the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850 made all Americans accountable for returning refugees like the Cra s to slavery. A er being in London for about 18 years, they wanted to return to the United States to teach Black people how to read and write, sharing the opportunities they had experienced themselves. They returned and refused to give up. They dreamed of a life that didn't exist. And that dream gave them the urgency of perseverance. When we set out to share a piece of their story in this issue, it became clear that all of our lives are woven within it. Whether we challenge or adhere to our nation's founding principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, we hear the Cra story and the stories of countless Black and Indigenous stories before theirs. And yes, long before those privileged principles were inscribed into law. And Ellen. Her relentless work to embody the powerful figures that kept her in a life of bondage delivered her to freedom from slavery. Her heroic work led the way for all of us. For nearly 20 years, Macon Magazine has been redefining the idea of "women's work" in our Women in Business issue. And now, we're highlighting stories about how urgent PICTURED: WITH COVER ARTIST RHONDA SUNSHINE MILLER @ARTATEHER_SUNSHINE. VIEW HER PAINTING AT THE BICENTENNIAL ART SHOW AT THE MACON MALL. and influential labor is contained in our callings, which isn't always neatly boxed into a career. The Women's Issue contains the work of these boundary-crossing women. So, what do we do with Ellen's story? We honor her. It may not always be comfortable, but when we have the capacity, it is our responsibility to help others. The stories in these pages are of women who have broken from what our institutions would have us become. And instead, to make our own way, with those who support us. In the name of Ellen Cra , Susannah C. Maddux @susannahcmaddux 14 maconmagazine.com | APRIL/MAY 2023

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