The Fire of Freedom, a Mike Wiley production

On December 6, 1865, the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States. As we reflect on this dark chapter in our nation’s history, join our continued work to build a nation that protects the rights of all its people.

The Fire of Freedom, performed by Mike Wiley. Abraham H. Galloway was a fiery young slave rebel, radical abolitionist, and Union spy who rose out of bondage to become one of the most significant and stirring black leaders in the South during the Civil War. This riveting portrait, adapted by playwright Howard Craft, illuminates Galloway's life and deepens our insight into the Civil War and Reconstruction as experienced by African Americans in the South. 

Mike Wiley holds a Masters of Fine Arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was the 2010 and 2014 Lehman Brady Visiting Joint Chair Professor in Documentary Studies and American Studies at Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Wiley received the University of North Carolina’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2017.

Note: this program takes place at the Elizabeth Price Kenan Theatre on the campus of UNC. 

Don't forget to register for the December 6 Abolition Day symposium - Beyond the Thirteenth Amendment: Reclaiming the Promise of Freedom. 

Program partners for The Fire of Freedom include:

• Orange County Community Remembrance Coalition
• Orange County Office of Civil Rights & Civic Life
• The Paul Green Foundation
• UNC Department of Dramatic Art
• Chapel Hill Public Library's Community History Program.