Historic New Richmond, Inc. and the Ohio River National Freedom Corridor are partnering to bring author Kristen Green to the New Richmond Branch Library and the Freedom Center later this month.

September is International Underground Railroad Month in Ohio as established by a bill sponsored by State Rep. Adam Bird, explained Greg Roberts, Vice-President of Historic New Richmond, Inc.

He shared that Green is set to visit the New Richmond Branch Library at 103 River Valley Blvd. on Sept. 28 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Green is also scheduled to present at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center on Sept. 27 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

She’ll be discussing her book “The Devil’s Half Acre: The Untold Story of How One Woman Liberated the South’s Most Notorious Slave Jail.”

A description of the book reads, “History can be buried by a number of factors: suppression, silence, erasure, and of course, the buildup of soil over time to cover what once was. In the example of Mary Lumpkin, an enslaved girl who at the age of 13 was forced to have five children with her enslaver and live in his slave jail, we find all of the above. Only a few miles from Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va., where the city’s last Confederate statue was recently removed, lies the site once known as Lumpkin’s Jail, aka the Devil’s Half Acre. But its legacy to both the history of the domestic slave trade and the rebuilding of the nation remains unexplored. Mary Lumpkin is buried in an unmarked grave in Samarian Cemetery in New Richmond, Ohio.”

Green is a reporter and the author of the New York Times bestseller “Something Must Be Done About Prince Edward County,” which received the Library of Virginia Literary Award for Nonfiction and the People’s Choice Award, according to promotional materials for the upcoming event. Green has worked as a writer for two decades for newspapers including the Boston Globe, the San Diego Union-Tribune, and the Richmond Times-Dispatch. She holds a master’s in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School and lives with her husband and two daughters in Richmond, Virginia.

Roberts explained why, in particular, Green was selected for the author event.

 “Kristen Green, while researching her book, came to New Richmond to see what she could learn about Mary Lumpkin’s 30-plus years living here — what might have brought her to Ohio and New Richmond specifically. Her book is one of several in recent years that have been published by best-selling authors that highlight people with historic roots in Clermont County. Amy Buskey, Manager of the New Richmond Branch of the Clermont County Public Library and Secretary for Historic New Richmond, and others thought it would be wonderful if Kristen could come to Cincinnati and New Richmond to share Mary Lumpkin’s story with locals who are mostly unaware of the significant contributions of former Black residents of Clermont County, including myself. We were delighted when Kristen Green accepted our invitation.”

Roberts encourages people to read Green’s new book and attend the author event.

“Anyone who is interested in learning beyond what you were taught about American slavery and understanding the complexities and cruelties associated with the ‘peculiar institution’ should read the book and/or attend the event. Anyone that wishes to be inspired by an unsung hero, an enslaved black woman that not only survived a horrible existence while enslaved but overcame her situation and found freedom for herself and her children,” he said, adding, “I hope people will learn that one person can make a difference in this world regardless of their past and the evil that exists and is perpetuated today through different, more sophisticated, form.”

Roberts spoke about being part of a community with such significant importance.

“I feel pride to live in a community that was once recognized as a place that welcomed people of color and provided opportunities that were unheard of in most of this country at the time. Hospitality was based on their faith and literal understanding of our founding documents and the application of principles to all the people as determined by ‘We the people.’”