Erica Armstrong Dunbar’s ‘Never Caught’

GUEST: ERICA ARMSTRONG DUNBAR

When America’s founding father George Washington was elected president, he left his Mount Vernon home to live in Philadelphia. During the transition, he took nine slaves. However, Pennsylvania law required enslaved people be set free after six months of residency in the state. As a way around the law, Washington decided to send slaves down south when the deadline drew close. Even though the slaves lived relatively comfortably, a slave named Ona Judge saw an opportunity to leave the Washington family. One day, the 22-year-old ran away. This ensued an intense manhunt led by George Washington who used his political power to try to recapture his property. ERICA ARMSTRONG DUNBAR, author of “Never Caught,” writes the captivating narrative of Judge’s intense journey to reach freedom.