Foundations We Support
Listen: After Patsey’s Flogging
We wish to continue the civil rights legacy of Dr. Sue Eakin by providing visibility to organizations combatting racism and present-day slavery in its various forms, such as human trafficking and forced child labor.
- Nat’l Underground RR Freedom CenterOpen or Close
The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (Freedom Center) brings focus to modern forms of slavery in order to challenge and inspire citizens to take courageous steps for freedom today. Since 2004, the Freedom Center has engaged millions of visitors from all 50 states and from more than 40 other nations around the world via on-site, off-site, and online exhibitions, programs, and interactive experiences. The Freedom Center has also hosted hundreds of thousands of school students through field trips and various other programs, presentations, and children focused activities.
As the movement against modern day slavery evolves, many have drawn a parallel between historic chattel slavery and contemporary slavery around the globe. Both are rooted in the concepts of forced labor for the profit of others and in communities of individuals determined to realize freedom. Yet lack of public awareness about human trafficking, and confusion about how it relates to historic slavery, can limit the wide-spread public involvement necessary to influence government policy and philanthropic grant-making. The Freedom Center has undertaken a wide range of groundbreaking programs to address this challenge and move the fight for freedom forward. Some of our programs and projects are described below.
Journey to Freedom
This documentary provides a unique and powerful call to action through the telling of the incredible stories of Solomon Northup and modern day Cambodian Prum Vannak – two men sold into slavery 150 years and half a world apart. Their stories, and the stories of those in both eras who work to end slavery, offer unique inspiration to individuals looking to be modern abolitionists. The documentary was funded by the U.S. State Department Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons and Google. It has been featured at the U.S. State Department and at U.S. Embassies around the world.
Convener of Anti-Slavery Leaders
Slavery & Sex Trafficking
The Freedom Center leads stimulating online conversations about contemporary slavery. Contributors have included Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Nicholas Kristof and leading anti-trafficking advocates.
Abolitionism Then and Now
The Freedom Center organizes conversations about the links between historic and modern abolitionism, with an emphasis on how individuals can “join the network” of abolitionists today.
Invisible
The Freedom Center showcases the world’s first museum-quality, permanent exhibition on the subjects of modern-day slavery and human trafficking. Since its opening in 2010, Invisible has hosted hundreds of thousands of visitors, many who pledged on the exhibition’s commitment wall to take action to combat ” unfreedoms. ”
International Freedom Conductor Award
The Freedom Center annually honors leaders for their commitment to human rights. Past recipients include: His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama; former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton; Dr. Dorothy Irene Height; Ethel Kennedy, on behalf of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights; South African Bishop Desmond Tutu; Rosa Parks; Nicholas Kristof; and the late Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth.
The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center’s audiobook promo code is: FREEDOM. When you purchase our audiobook at
Downpour.comand use the code at checkout, the organization will receive a donation of 20% of your net sales price (after taxes, price discounts, and normal returns and allowances). Downpour.com is partially owned by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Use of the code will not impact the purchase price. - The Eracism FoundationOpen or Close
As one of the most respected African American actors in film, television, stage and voiceover history, the late Louis Gossett, Jr. was a triple threat talent with an Emmy ®forRoots , an Oscar ®for Officer and a Gentlemanand a Golden Globe ® for The Josephine Baker Story.
In addition to being an elite actor, Lou was an impassioned activist who gave back to the world through his Eracism Foundation. Lou committed the last quarter of his life to realizing the foundation’s mission of planting the seeds of social tolerance and eliminating the stigma of racism.
“If we were to drop all other agendas and cooperate on the salvation of the planet, a rapid resurrection would take place. The number one asset we have is our children. Together we can create miracles. Let us celebrate our unique differences realizing what Nelson Mandela once told me – there is a bigger picture. Let us find it together.”
– Louis Gossett, Jr., Founder, The Eracism Foundation
The Eracism Foundation’s audiobook promo code audiobook promo code is: LOU. When you purchase our audiobook at
Downpour.comand use the code at checkout, the organization will receive a donation of 20% of your net sales price (after taxes, price discounts, and normal returns and allowances). Downpour.com is partially owned by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Use of the code will not impact the purchase price. - FREE THE SLAVESOpen or Close
Free the Slaves was founded to alert the world that slavery still exists, why it does, and where it is most prevalent. They sound the alarm with the general public, policy makers and human rights activists, and developed a global blueprint for change to inform governments, international institutions, faith communities, businesses and the public what they can do to end modern-day slavery.
Slavery in Your Pocket: The Congo Connection
In its mini-documentary, Free the Slaves uncovered slavery in the Congo’s mining industry. So-called “conflict minerals” from the Democratic Republic of the Congo find their way into products we use every day—such as laptop computers, cell phones, cars and batteries. In these isolated mining communities, young children suffer horrific abuse, including violent beatings and unyielding hunger.
The Free The Slaves audiobook promo code is: FREETHESLAVES. When you purchase our audiobook at
Downpour.com and use the code at checkout, the organization will receive a donation of 20% of your net sales price (after taxes, price discounts, and normal returns and allowances). Downpour.com is partially owned by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Use of the code will not impact the purchase price. - DR. SUE EAKIN COLLECTIONS AT LSUAOpen or Close
The academic community takes fullest advantage of the rich store of documents and photographs in the Eakin Papers. The Sue L. Eakin collections were donated to Louisiana State University at Alexandria shortly after Dr. Eakin’s death in 2009. The collections include:
- over 270 linear feet of papers, photographs, and maps
- hundreds of cassettes containing interviews and oral histories
- more than 1,000 square feet of books
- furniture, farm implements, mill stones, and a post office
LSUA is dedicated to the preservation of the Eakin collections. The University Archivist works to provide access to Dr. Eakin’s research. Requests for information from or access to Eakin materials constitutes a large percentage of the research requests received by the Archives.
Scholars seeking information in the following areas will find these archives invaluable:
- Slavery
- Civil Rights
- History of African-American churches
- History of African-American education
- Central Louisiana history
- Plantations and plantation systems around the world
Along with building the University Archives and Central Louisiana Collections, the Archivist supervises students participating in the University’s Service Learning program. Students have the opportunity to learn basic archival skills and practices under the direction of a professional Certified Archivist.
The LSUA Sue Eakin Collection’s audiobook promo code is: LSUA. When you purchase our audiobook at
Downpour.comand use the code at checkout, the organization will receive a donation of 20% of your net sales price (after taxes, price discounts, and normal returns and allowances). Downpour.com is partially owned by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Use of the code will not impact the purchase price. - Louisiana Center for the BookOpen or Close
The Louisiana Center for the Book in the State Library of Louisiana annually presents the Louisiana Book Festival, a celebration of readers, writers, literacy, books, and the literary heritage of the state. The festival has helped to preserve the history of Louisiana by bringing attention to important works such as Twelve Years a Slave and providing visibility to the books of historians such as Dr. Sue Eakin.
This nationally recognized award-winning event, free and open to all, offers unique opportunities for book lovers of all ages to interact with exceptional writers, poets and storytellers. At more than 100 book and literacy events throughout the day, participants enjoy an inspiring variety of book-related activities, exhibitions and demonstrations featuring more than 150 authors, poets, and panelists. Special emphasis is placed on Louisiana writers, as well as authors and books with Louisiana connections, but bestselling authors from throughout the South and across the country are also featured.
The festival events also celebrate the rich music, food, and artistic culture of the state, and include literary-related art exhibitions and documentary film screenings. Pre-festival writing workshops, known as WordShops, are held the day before the festival, presented by award-winning faculty on a variety of topics of particular interest to emerging writers. Pre-festival events also include the literacy outreach program presented to school children, highlighting the importance of literacy as part of a healthy lifestyle.
The festival is held in Baton Rouge in the State Capitol, State Library, State Museum, Capitol Park Welcome Center, and on the grounds of Capitol Park. The Louisiana Book Festival is primarily funded through the Louisiana Library Foundation, a nonprofit 501c3 organization.
The Louisiana Center for the Book’s audiobook promo code is: LIBRARY. When you purchase our audiobook at
Downpour.com and use the code at checkout, the organization will receive a donation of 20% of your net sales price (after taxes, price discounts, and normal returns and allowances). Downpour.com is partially owned by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Use of the code will not impact the purchase price.