Bridge Street to Freedom - Paperback

by Dolores M. Van Rensalier (Author)

Her parents successfully hid their own black ancestry all their adult lives, even from their five children. A TRUE STORY, as a teenager Dolores, born in NYC but raised in CA, discovered her black heritage and made a dramatic moral choice. She left home at age 17 to live an open black life and to search for her hidden black roots. Read the inspiring story about Dolores' healing research journey that led her to discover, not only did BOTH her parents have a black parent, her maternal great-grandfather was a hidden black abolitionist. A dramatic Prologue and powerful essay included in this book, the essay helped inspire the Paterson, NJ people to successfully demand the official Huntoon-Van Rensalier Underground Railroad Site at the vacant lot. Still determined to honor William, and his life-long friend, abolitionist Josiah Huntoon, she helped turn this historic vacant lot into a spectacular Huntoon-Van Rensalier UGRR Monument.

Author Biography

Before her years of extensive documentation, on her own Dolores earned a BA in English at CA State University, Los Angeles, and studied master's level courses in Public Management. She is a 4 yr. New Jersey Rehab. Counselor for the Blind and a 21 year retired City of Los Angeles Management Coordinator. She has innumerable city-wide community and city-official awards including a California State Legislature Resolution for advancing Los Angeles communities, and for her UGRR research. The Resolution was signed by the entire state legislature. In New Jersey, she has received numerous more UGRR site awards, and a NJ State Historic Preservation Award for her historic documentation that led to the preservation of the HV UGRR site. She is also founder and president of the HV UGRR Foundation. Dolores is married to newspaper publisher and Senior Pastor, Dr. John E. Warren, and has two children, Michael and Latanya West from a previous marriage.