Politicizing the Home: The Loguen Family’s Underground Railroad

Abstract: This article explores how Jermain and Caroline Loguen’s Underground Railroad operations in Syracuse, New York, transformed their home into a political space by sheltering fugitives and defying the Fugitive Slave Law. It highlights the role of family in these efforts, suggesting that Black homes should be seen as political entities. By challenging the “male-public versus female-private dichotomy,” the article rethinks gender roles and the public/private divide, showing how the Loguen family’s work blurred these lines and politicized the Black home.