The pilgrimage across the Overland Trails in the mid-19th century represent a critical point in American history.

Over a 30-year stretch, nearly half a million people traveled over 2,000 miles in search of new opportunities. However, the story of thousands of African-Americans who were part of that journey has largely been untold.

Shirley Ann Wilson Moore, history professor at Sacramento State, explains the trials and tribulations faced by black Americans, both free and enslaved, in her book titled "Sweet Freedom’s Plains: African Americans on the Overland Trails," as part of the Center for Sacramento’s Black History Month 2017. 

She will be speaking at the Center for Sacramento History Feb. 9 at 7 p.m.