VIRTUAL AUTHOR TALK – The Princeton Fugitive Slave: The Trials of James Collins Johnson
June 24 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
James Collins Johnson made his name by escaping slavery in Maryland and fleeing to Princeton, where he built a life in a bustling community of African Americans working at what is now Princeton University. After only four years, he was recognized by a student from Maryland, arrested, and subjected to a trial for extradition under the 1793 Fugitive Slave Act. On the eve of his rendition, after attempts to free Johnson by force had failed, a local aristocratic white woman purchased Johnson’s freedom, allowing him to avoid re-enslavement. In celebration of Juneteenth, please join us as Dr. Lolita Buckner Inniss , Dean of Colorado University School of Law, reconstructs Johnson’s life, from birth and enslaved life in Maryland to his daring escape, sensational trial for re-enslavement, and last minute-change of fortune through to the end of his life in Princeton. Dr. Inniss will also share new research she uncovered, expanding on the extraordinary story of this harrowing slice of New Jersey history.
Dr. Lolita Buckner Inniss is a distinguished academic leader, scholar, and public servant. She currently serves as the 17th dean of the University of Colorado Law School and holds the title of Provost’s Professor of Law. She is also an affiliate of the Center for African & African American Studies. She is an elected member of the American Law Institute, an honor that reflects her standing among the nation’s most accomplished legal professionals and scholars. She began her academic career in legal writing and transitioned to clinical teaching, specializing in immigration law and political asylum. For most of her teaching career she has focused on property law and the intersection of race and legal systems, with particular emphasis on comparative approaches to racism and the law.