Dangerfield Newby was a free man – but his wife and children were not. After working hard to earn enough to purchase their freedom, Newby got double-crossed by their enslaver! But that was only the beginning of his story.
In 1859, he helped plan a revolt to free his enslaved family. The raid of Harper’s Ferry in West Virginia would go on to make history, even serving as a precursor to the Civil War.
But Newby’s legacy is much more lasting. Why?
Because many people believe he STILL lives! How on Earth is this even possible, when the revolt happened centuries ago, and Newby was the first person killed?
That’s because Newby is rumored to remain – as a ghost. During the revolt, white people shot him, stabbed him with rusty knives, and threw his body into an alley, where he was eaten by hogs!
Newby’s ghost is said to haunt “Hog Alley,” still trying to free his family.
Newby, the ghost of Hog Alley, teaches us a lesson – that even white people recognize the cruelty they’ve afflicted upon us over the years, and even their ghost stories tell the truth of what we’ve been through.
But beyond that, his story inspires us to do whatever it takes, despite the risks, to get true equality.