"In 1851, Sojourner Truth delivered her "Ain't I A Woman?" speech in the city at the Ohio Women's Rights Convention. When active, Akron was part of the Underground Railroad. Abolitionist John Brown lived in Akron, and has two landmarks, the John Brown House and John Brown Monument, dedicated to him in the city."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Brown_(abolitionist)

Here's hoping that the pioneers of this new era of African-American freedom maintain the necessary vigilance; for Akron in less than a century of human civilization, went from one of the bastions of human liberty to a haven for the anti-human liberty parasites, or those who prefer to profit and live by the sweat of others; a mindset on national display particularly over the course of the last three days in Cleveland and beyond; and the primary reason for editorials such as the following...

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/lebron-james-benedict-arnold-miami-heat-chris-bosh-dwyane-wade-071010