It’s incredibly raw and emotional, but it’s not all doom and gloom. Many of the exhibit’s rooms are brightly colored; there are plaques relaying tales of how runaways gained their freedom, and sections are dedicated to abolitionists such as Martin R. Delany, who established The Mystery, the first African-American weekly newspaper west of the Allegheny Mountains. A statue of him is displayed prominently, and you can hear one of his impassioned speeches. It’s quite moving, and at the end of “From Slavery to Freedom” there are photos of former President Barack Obama.

In a matter of an hour, anyone can relive the journey blacks have gone though in this country. And during my time there, what was most promising was that except for me, the people walking through this exhibit were white. Before I could even wonder if this kind of ratio happens outside of Martin Luther King’s Birthday or Black History Month, I overheard snippets of a mother explaining to her son as best she could the ugliness of slavery, or couples telling each other, “Oh, I didn’t know that” after reading a piece of information. Turns out “Oh, I didn’t know that” would be a common refrain during my time in Pittsburgh.

The next day, during a three-hour tour with Dr. Ellis, a historian who modestly mentioned that she is August Wilson’s niece more than halfway into the tour, I got a crash course about Pittsburgh, looking at landmarks and making a pit stop at Market Square. She told me that Delany’s office was near the North Star display, but it’s now gone. All that remains is a sign, briefly noting Delany’s achievements and significance.

I asked Dr. Ellis about the erasure of landmarks like that. “That’s part of racism that goes on in Pittsburgh, unfortunately,” she said. “Maybe you can ask yourself, ‘Did they know?’ and perhaps they didn’t. But there is a lot of segregation in Pittsburgh, and as a result, some things get erased when they should be celebrated.” A sobering thought and a reminder that those who record history control so much of what gets remembered.

One location serves as a daily reminder: Point State Park, which is stunning. A massive fountain that lights up at night is the clear focal point.

At the park I told Dr. Ellis that I still wasn’t sure why Pittsburgh played such an important role in the Underground Railroad. She explained that the antislavery Republican Party had its roots in the city. Many businessmen opposed slavery because they feared the competition. While this was less than altruistic, what matters was that it meant there could be safe houses, places where runaways could get a meal; there were barbershops they could sneak into, wash up and be given fresh clothing as they continued their journey to Canada.

Or, and this is the amazing part about the antislavery movement in Pittsburgh, they could, by the 1800s, remain in the Hill District, so that they could start their lives over there instead of having to trek all the way to Canada.