Working for Freedom
People and Places in Rochester
Working for the Rights of African Americans and Women

We, the fifth grade class at the Genesee Community Charter School, created this website because we felt that we needed to educate people about the historical people in Rochester who successfully fought oppression, and the places in the Rochester area that are connected to those people.

But what is oppression? We defined it as:

an unfair use of power over another person

We learned that oppression can take many forms, and that in the 1800's and early 1900's, Americans had very different rights and freedoms based on whether they were male or female, African American or Caucasian, free or enslaved. We focused on the question:

How did people in the Rochester area (including Seneca Falls and Auburn) help fight oppression?

Students spent twelve weeks learning about specific people and places, researching their topics, and drafting the writing to go on their piece of the website. This meant visiting these locations on field studies, learning from guest speakers, and writing to experts with questions we needed answered. We had fun learning, but the writing and revising process was sometimes stressful.

Whether you’re a visitor in Rochester or a Rochester resident, we hope that you learn a great deal as you explore the important people and places in Rochester's freedom movement. You may be surprised as you read pieces of our local history that are not often told, and we expect that you’ll want to see some of these places for yourself.

Introduction by Mr. Walpole, Ms. Cicero & Shelby